Mason County Sheriff’s Office personnel prepare to go back out onto the lake Thursday afternoon.
HAMLIN TOWNSHIP — The body of a 68-year-old Ludington man who drowned in Hamlin Lake Wednesday evening was recovered Friday morning, Sept. 4, according to Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole.
Doug Laman, 68, of Ludington, has been identified as the man who was reported missing Wednesday evening, Sept. 2, after his unoccupied fishing boat was found circling on the lake.
“Mr. Laman’s body was recovered this morning, near the area where his boat was found unoccupied,” Cole said.
Emergency crews were initially called at 6:23 p.m. Wednesday to an area northeast of Wilson Hill Park after another boater reported hearing someone yelling for help and seeing a small, unoccupied boat traveling in circles. The boater went to the area but could no longer hear anyone or see anyone in the water.
Mason County sheriff’s deputies, Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, Hamlin Township firefighters and Life EMS personnel began searching the area immediately. Divers with the Mason County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team searched until midnight Wednesday without locating Laman. Evidence found in the boat indicated he had likely been fishing when he fell into the water and was unable to get back into the boat, Cole said.
Recovery efforts continued Thursday and Friday.
Assisting the Mason County Sheriff’s Office during the search and recovery were Michigan State Police, Ludington Police Department, Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division, Hamlin Township Fire Department, Custer Township Fire Department, which provided an air tank filling station, Life EMS, The Salvation Army and the Mason County Victim Services Unit.
Cole also thanked members of the community who assisted responders during the two-day operation.
“I would also like to thank the many businesses and individuals who provided responders with food and beverages over the past two days,” Cole said.
_______________________
Please Support Local News Coverage
For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.
If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.
Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.
Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.
Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year.
Click here to subscribe annually.
If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:
Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454
Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.
Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.
Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.
As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.
.png)
.jpg)