MARQUETTE -One swimmer drowned Friday night in Lake Superior near Picnic Rocks.
Marquette County Central Dispatch received a 911 call at 6:41 p.m. reporting three swimmers in distress at Picnic Rocks.
Emergency units were dispatched to the scene. When they arrived, they found two of the three swimmers were accounted for. The third swimmer, a male, was found submerged several minutes later.
The victim was pulled from the water and emergency medical procedures were started. He was transported to Marquette General Hospital by EMS after being pulled from the lake, police said.
The victim was pronounced dead at approximately 8 p.m.
Police are withholding the name of the victim pending notification of next of kin.
Agencies responding to the incident included the Marquette Police Department, Marquette Fire Department, Northern Michigan University Public Safety, Marquette County Sheriff's Department, Michigan State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Marquette General EMS and Marquette lifeguards.
The death is the fourth drowning this summer on Lake Superior in Marquette -the second in the Picnic Rocks area.
Rodney Nilsestuen, 62, of DeForest, Wis., drowned July 21 in the water near Picnic Rocks. Two teenagers drowned in Lake Superior near Presque Isle Park Aug. 5. Rescue workers pulled 15-year-old Elias Jenkins, of Berkley, Ill. and 16-year-old Alex Schuiteman, of Felch, from the water but both perished. The teens were part of a larger group swimming near the park.
The police remind the public to be cautious along the Lake Superior shore. Strong winds, currents and submerged objects can make swimming dangerous. Police recommend swimming only in areas marked specifically for swimming and with lifeguards on duty.
