Body of missing swimmer recovered.

Body of missing swimmer recovered.

#MasonCountyNews

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

GRANT TOWNSHIP — The body of Brian Herrmann was found by search crews this morning, Saturday, July 27, at 9 a.m. Herrmann’s body was found 150 feet in Lake Michigan offshore of Nurnberg Road, approximately 8 miles north of the Sable River outlet at Ludington State Park where Herrmann went missing while swimming on Thursday, July 25th at 3:13 p.m. Efforts to locate Brian had been ongoing since that time.

“The Mason County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the community’s support during the past two days of searching, said Sheriff Kim Cole. “Although this is not the ending we had hoped for on Thursday, it is my hope the family can find closure and start the grieving process. The tragic events that have taken place this past week and a half have been long and tiring for our emergency responders. I am so proud of the professionalism and work ethic they put forth; it was truly remarkable to see. We had great support from our partner agencies and the private businesses that provided food and supplies.

“This tragedy is an example of how dangerous currents can be on Lake Michigan. Parents and individuals are encouraged to educate themselves on the daily swim risk before venturing out into Lake Michigan.”

Visit https://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/beachhazards for more information.

“Beachgoers need to remember a ‘hazardous beach statement’ has been issued for today and early Sunday for dangerous currents along the Lake Michigan shoreline.”

 The torrential rain that occurred last weekend created dangerous river conditions. The Sable, Lincoln and Pere Marquette rivers are full to their banks, and the high flows may create life-threatening conditions at the Lake Michigan Outlets. The high river levels may also be hiding dangerous snags or hazards under the surface of the water.

“Please do not swim in the mouth of rivers until they have receded back to normal levels,” Cole said

 The following businesses supported the search efforts: Jimmy Johns, Mancinos, The Y Country Store, Stix Bar, All Seasons Port-A-Jons, Northwoods Signs, Sanders Meat, Salvation Army, Little Caesars, Malliet Construction, Wesco, Lakeshore Carpet Care and several other area residents.

The following agencies assisted the Mason County Sheriff’s Office in the search efforts: The Ludington State Park, Hamlin Township Fire Department, Ludington Fire Department, Pere Marquette Fire Department, Grant Township Fire Department, Custer Fire Department, Scottville Fire Department, Free Soil/Mead Fire Department, Riverton Fire Department, United States Coast Guard, Ludington Police Department, Michigan State Police, Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, Oceana County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Manistee County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, Mason County Emergency Management, Mason County Sheriff’s UAV Unit, Life EMS, Mason-Oceana Central Dispatch,  Sheriff’s Victim’s Assistance Unit, US Forest Service, and93 DNR Law Division.