The body of Brett Zimmerman, 25, of Lansing, Kansas, was recovered in West Grand Traverse Bay after a missing boat was reported Monday, Sept. 7, and search parties rallied until late last night and throughout today, according to the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Department.
Recovery teams "located and recovered" the body around 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.
This represents the first drowning in Leelanau waters in 2026 and at least the 35th confirmed or missing person on Lake Michigan this year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Project.
The investigation continues as the Northern Michigan Mutual Aide Task Force Dive Team and other agencies assisted in the investigation.
Zimmerman had been missing since Monday, when Leelanau County Dispatch received a report at approximately 8:39 a.m. of a dinghy spinning unattended in the water just off Stoney Point.
First responders arrived around 8:51 a.m., with Suttons Bay Fire and Rescue and the Leelanau County Sheriff's Office Marine Division among the first on scene. Deputies located the dinghy's owner and determined Zimmerman was the last known person aboard the vessel; marina surveillance video helped confirm he had been operating it.
The U.S. Coast Guard joined the search shortly after the first units arrived. The Mutual Aid Dive Team was called in later for additional manpower and specialized equipment, including side-scan sonar and drones.
Crews searched the waters around Stoney Point throughout the day Monday before suspending the effort at approximately 9 p.m. Sheriff's office personnel also searched the shoreline and contacted area homeowners seeking any information that might help.
