Detroit man dead in Taylor Lake drowning, says Oakland County Sheriff's Office

A 20-year-old Detroit man is dead after drowning at Taylor Lake in Rose Township Saturday morning, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.

Marsalis Quintin Carter, a resident of Detroit and Tuskegee, Ala., was in a pontoon boat at Taylor Lake when he jumped off the side of the boat and didn't resurface, police said. At least 25 divers participated in an over 13-hour search and discovered the victim's body early Sunday morning.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard recommended swimmers follow safe practices while out on the water this summer to avoid drownings, he said.

“I encourage people to have a personal flotation device on if they are not strong swimmers when they get in the lake, as we have had numerous drownings this summer in similar situations,” Bouchard said. “Even if you are a strong swimmer and have been drinking alcohol, it’s a good idea as well.”

Nationwide, more drownings occur in July than any other month, and overall, they appear to be on the rise, with more than 4,000 a year, after decades of decline, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Metro Detroit has seen multiple drownings this summer, including at White Lake on July 5 and at Camp Dearborn on June 17.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team was dispatched to the scene at 11:07 a.m. Saturday, the Sheriff's Office said. Strike teams from the Southeast Michigan Dive Group responded to the scene, assisting the Sheriff's Office and the North Oakland County Fire Authority in the search, with divers from Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston and Wayne Counties.

The search team discovered Carter's body about 300 feet from shore in 35 feet of water around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, the Sheriff's Office said. An autopsy performed at the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office Sunday morning found the preliminary cause of death to be drowning, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The search effort also included Oakland County Sheriff's Office aviation and drone units, the Sheriff's Office said. Poor visibility led to divers using sonar equipment and searching techniques, the Sheriff's Office said.

The victim was in a group helping a local resident move and they went on the boat to take a break, police said. The boat's owner took the group to swim in Taylor Lake and Carter and another man jumped into the water, with Carter not resurfacing, the Sheriff's Office said.