Body of missing kayaker found on Lake Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The body of a missing kayaker has been recovered on Lake Michigan.

The Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office says the body of 28-year-old Eric Gabryel, from St. Clair County, was found Tuesday morning off the shores of Glen Arbor.

Gabryel went missing Saturday afternoon. He and a 37-year-old woman were out kayaking when his kayak started taking on water. The woman tried to bring both of them back to shore when her kayak also started to flounder.

The woman was found and brought back to shore by a passing boater, but Gabryel had already disappeared below the surface of the water.

“Unfortunately, this situation is a reminder that all persons enjoying the waterways of Michigan should not only have but use personal flotation devices any time they are out on the water, especially when kayaking or canoeing,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post .

Several agencies worked on the search for Gabryel, including local police and fire personnel, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Natural Resources, the National Park Service and the Northern Michigan Mutual Aid Dive Team.

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