A Labor Day fishing trip on West Grand Traverse Bay resulted in a drowning.
The body of Brett Zimmerman, 25, of Lansing, Kansas, and Kalamazoo was recovered Tuesday in 85 feet of water.
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 Stony 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 Stony 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.
Recovery teams “located and recovered” the body around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
“By all accounts, (Zimmerman) was a great kid, who loved to fish,” Sheriff Mike Borkovich said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Zimmerman was in the county visiting his girlfriend’s family. His parents flew from Kansas to Traverse City Labor Day after Zimmerman was reported missing.
Borkovich said the incident serves as reminder about the importance of personal flotation devices.
“You need a life preserver with you and especially when boating by yourself,” the Sheriff said. “I have zero-tolerance for PFD violations.”
Zimmerman 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.
“We were just talking about getting through the summer without an drownings and fatal car crashes,” Borkovich said. “It’s very sad.”
The investigation continues as the Northern Michigan Mutual Aide Task Force Dive Team and other agencies assisted in the investigation.
