MARENGO TOWNSHIP, MI (WNWN/WTVB) – A 73-year-old man died Sunday night after he went missing for six hours and had to be rescued from a Calhoun County swamp.
The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office say their deputies were dispatched at about 10:00 p.m. to the 19000 block of Michigan Avenue in Marengo Township after a woman reported her husband left the residence at about 4:00 p.m. to take a walk on the property and had not returned. A large portion of the property was swamp land.
K9’s from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Battle Creek Police Department were called to assist with the search.
The Sheriff’s Office Drone Team also responded.
Michigan State Police Aviation Unit was contacted to try and get helicopter assistance in searching the property, but they were ultimately unable due to weather conditions.
The Drone Team located a heat signature using the drone over the swamp area, southwest of the residence.
Deputies and an area resident were directed towards the heat signature in the swamp area where the water was waist deep.
The victim was found partially submerged in the water. Temperatures at the time of the incident were in the mid to upper 20’s.
Deputies and Marengo Township Fire Personnel placed the victim onto a backboard and carried him over 100 yards through the swamp to the main road where additional medical personnel were waiting.
The victim was transported by Marshall Area Fire Fighters Ambulance Authority to an area hospital for treatment but he later died at the hospital.
Deputies were treated on the scene for extended exposure in the freezing water temperatures.
Assisting the Sheriff’s Department at the scene were the Marengo Township Fire Department, the Marshall Area Fire Fighters Ambulance Authority, the Battle Creek City Police Department K9 Unit and Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority.
