The missing kayaker recovered from West Grand Traverse Bay has been identified as James Arthur Bottorff III, 26, of Leelanau County and a current Wilmington, North Carolina, resident.
Bottorff was discovered around 11:30 a.m. in roughly six feet of water off the shore of Peshawbestown.
This is the second drowning within the same nautical mile within two weeks.
According to Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, it appears a man and a woman were kayaking when waves and wind swamped both.
The female made it back to shore to call for help.
“My heart goes out to him and his family,” Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich said. “ We are reminding the public: Please take life jackets with you, especially on canoes, kayaks or paddle boards. If you fall in, sometimes you may be a good swimmer; But there may be a number of things happening.”
The Michigan State Police and the United States Coast Guard were involved in the search.
The county’s dispatch log had an entry reporting that a 26-year-old male had gone missing while kayaking around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Neither Bottorff nor the female with whom he was kayaking were wearing a personal flotation device.
Extensive search operations lasted until approximately 8:45 p.m. when water conditions and visibility became unsafe for emergency responders to continue.
Diving teams searched along an underwater ridge stretching from the Stony Point peninsula near Suttons Bay across to Peshawbestown in about 35 feet of water and shallower, according to Borkovich.
“I hope this loss reminds people about the importance of life preservers … please respect the Great Lakes,” Borkovich said.
Rescue efforts Tuesday night were hampered by strong northerly winds that cut off land and water searches around 10 p.m., with Coast Guard flying missions all night.
This incident remains under investigation and represents the second drowning within the same nautical mile within two weeks. No drownings were reported this year until September.
Earlier this month, 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 were launched.
“This is a very solemn occasion,” Grand Traverse Band Police Captain David Crockett said.
Kayaker recovered
In a previous update, The Enterprise first got word of a potential recovery around noon.
Wednesday morning: Search underway for Kayaker
An extensive search was underway for a kayaker reported missing near Peshabestown, Tuesday night.
“We came back out starting at 7 this morning with a couple spots we wanted to check,” Borkovich said.
According to the Sheriff’s Office social media website, witnesses reported that a male victim was last seen about 200 yards offshore.
The county’s dispatch log had an entry reporting that a 26-year-old male had gone missing while kayaking. He was not wearing a personal flotation device.
Extensive search operations lasted until approximately 8:45 p.m. when water conditions and visibility became unsafe for emergency responders to continue.
Borkovich said the kayaker wasn’t where investigators initially thought as searches resumed with the Northern Michigan Mutual Aid Dive Team doing a side-scan sonar diving on and off of objects found in the water Tuesday morning.
“We hope it’s quick, but sometimes you never find someone … We’re hoping, praying that we can bring closure, if it comes to that,” Borkovich said.
This incident remains under investigation.
Earlier this month, 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 recovered him the next day.
