Kevin Baltes, 20, of Howell, who was canoeing with a friend on Lake Chemung in Genoa Township at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, April 7, died when the canoe he was in flipped over.
According to a release from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to an address in the 900 block of Hughes Road for a drowning.
The preliminary investigation reveals that one of the two men stood up in the canoe, causing it to flip and sending both men into the water. The friend, a 27-year-old Pinckney man, swam to shore and knocked on a resident’s door to seek help. Baltes was not able to reach the shore and drowned near the overturned canoe; his body was later recovered using sonar technology. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is believed to be accidental, and alcohol use appears to be a contributing factor. An autopsy will be performed at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Brighton Area Fire Department, Livingston County EMS, Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Survival Flight, Hamburg Township Police Department and the Livingston County Dive Team.
This incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau.
