FRANKFORT — Two fishermen were rescued early Friday morning after their 19-foot aluminum boat overturned in Lake Michigan off Frankfort harbor.
Deputies from the Benzie County Sheriff’s Office located the capsized boat with help from a “good Samaritan” in a nearby private vessel.
The two men were found clinging to the hull of the vessel about 8:26 a.m. after calling the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Manistee for help on a cellphone. They were both wearing life jackets at the time.
The men told authorities that strong waves overturned their boat during a fishing outing. They were cold but otherwise unharmed when met at the Frankfort boat launch by Benzie County EMS paramedics and Frankfort firefighters.
Efforts to recover the boat were underway Friday morning, according to Sheriff Kyle Rosa. He reminded boaters never to underestimate the power of the Great Lakes and to always wear life preservers.
The Frankfort Police, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Coast Guard and National Park Service also assisted in the rescue, he said in a media statement.