PARK TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Jan. 23, 2023) – A 52-year-old Otsego man lost his life as his vehicle ended up in Lake Macatawa on Sunday morning.
According to Ottawa County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Eric Westveer, first responders were dispatched to the area of Jenison Avenue and Lakeway Drive shortly after 9 AM on a report of a vehicle in the lake. They found two girls, aged 10 and eight, who apparently were able to escape the vehicle and huddled on shore until they could summon help.
While the youths were taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment of cold exposure and subsequently released, deputies and Park Township fire crews spotted the vehicle completely submerged. The Sheriff’s Department Dive Team went to work to retrieve the vehicle, and around 2 PM, brought the vehicle out with the motorist inside.
On Monday, Sheriff’s Sergeant Mike Vandenbosch announced that the driver’s name was Jon Paul Dowler. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including when the vehicle went into the water, remain undisclosed, as matters remain under investigation.
