VAN BUREN COUNTY, Mich. — A man was pronounced dead after being discovered in a submerged vehicle in a lake Tuesday afternoon.
Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott reports that at 4:41 p.m. Tuesday deputies responded to the Cedar Lake public access at 91000 M-40 in Marcellus for a vehicle that was submerged in the water. Deputies arrived on scene and found that a black four-door Hyundai Elantra was fully submerged approximately 20 yards from the shore with the occupant still inside.
Lawton Fire Department personnel along with a wrecker driver were able to commandeer a boat nearby and extricate the occupant from the vehicle prior to the Dive Teams arrival. The sole occupant of the vehicle was later identified as John Salvatore Catalino, 59, of Laawton and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Van Buren County Dive Team assisted in hooking up the vehicle to remove it from the lake.
An eyewitness observed the vehicle go into the lake backward and watched it sink. The witness called 9-1-1 to report the incident.
Relatives of the victim have been notified.
Assisting agencies included the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, the Lawton Police Department, the Lawton Fire Department, Lawton Quick Response, the Michigan State Police, Van Buren EMS and True’s Towing.
The incident remains under investigation by the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office.
