SUTTONS BAY – The body of a missing kayaker recovered from West Grand Traverse Bay has been identified as James Arthur Bottorff III, 26, formerly of Leelanau County.
Bottorff had been living in Wilmington, North Carolina, according to a Leelanau County Sheriff’s office social media post.
His body was discovered at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in roughly 6 feet of water off the shore of Peshawbestown. This is the second drowning within the same nautical mile within two weeks.
The county dispatch log had an entry reporting that the 26-year-old man had gone missing while kayaking at about 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Neither Bottdorff nor the woman with whom he was kayaking were wearing personal flotation devices, police said.
Emergency responders began their search near Sunrise Beach in Peshawbestown in Suttons Bay Township after witnesses said they had last seen Bottorff about 200 yards offshore.
According to Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich, a man and a woman were kayaking when waves and wind swamped both. The woman made it back to shore to call for help.
“My heart goes out to him and his family,” 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.
Rescue efforts were hampered by strong northerly winds. Extensive search operations lasted until approximately 8:45 p.m. Tuesday 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,” the sheriff said.
Drones, helicopters and a dive team were involved in the search. The United States Coast Guard; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Tribal Police, Fire Rescue and Emergency Management departments; Northern Michigan Mutual Aid Dive Team and Fire and Rescue teams from Leland Township, Leelanau Township and Suttons Bay helped with the response.
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.
Until September, no drownings in that area had been reported this year.