High Winds Suspend Search for Man who Tried to Rescue Girls - Northern Michigan's News Leader

High Winds Suspend Search for Man who Tried to Rescue Girls

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High winds forced rescue crews to suspend the search for a man who tried to save two girls from drowning.

An 11-year-old survived, but sadly no one could get to the 3-year-old in time.

The man who was the first to go in after the girls hasn't been found.

The drownings happened around 7:00p.m. Monday night on the southeastern corner of Houghton Lake in Roscommon County near Iroquois Avenue.

Police say two men and three girls were stranded on a pontoon boat about a mile from shore. The men were working to repair a broken engine when the 11-year-old held the 3-year-old over the side of the boat so she could go to the bathroom. The 3-year-old fell in and the 11-year-old jumped in after her. Both men dove in to help.

A boat in the area pulled one man and the 11-year-old out of the water. Sadly another boater found the three-year-old's body.

Winds caused the stranded pontoon to drift away from the people in the water during the rescue.

The sheriff says no one was wearing life jackets but there were life jackets in the boat. 

Rescue crews will start searching again when conditions are safe.

9 and 10's Kyle Mitchell and photojournalist Tony Zyber have more on the tragic story from Roscommon County.

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