ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The driver of a boat involved in a weekend crash where a man lost his leg is facing a drunk driving charge.
21-year-old Michael Butzke, of Allegan, was lodged at the Barry County Correctional Facility after the Sunday crash on Gun Lake. Online state police records show he is facing a felony charge of operating under the influence of liquor.
The victim, identified by Barry County authorities as 20-year-old Cameron Cichosz of Howell, went off the side of the boat while it was making a turn and caught his leg in the propeller.
Two doctors, Dr. Lauren Azevedo of St. John’s Hospital and Dr. Ryan Keating of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, were also on the lake while visiting family and were able to assist Cichosz until emergency crews arrived. The Barry County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday that the doctors’ actions likely saved his life.
Cichosz was taken the hospital by ambulance after the incident. His exact condition is unknown at this time.
