Highland Township man drowns while swimming in Townsend Lake

(CBS DETROIT) - A 21-year-old Highland Township man drowned Tuesday while swimming in Townsend Lake in Independence Township, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says.

Officials say the man, who has not been identified, was swimming with a friend Tuesday afternoon when he unexpectedly went underwater and did not resurface. The sheriff's office's search and rescue team responded to the incident around 1:40 p.m.

Divers found the swimmer in 20 feet of water, about 100 feet from shore, around 2 p.m. Tuesday. Paramedics performed life-saving measures on the swimmer. The man was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Townsend Lake is located east of Dixie Highway, near Waterford Road.