By Cole Waterman
The Bay City Times
BAY CITY, Mich. — Three people have lost their lives to the Saginaw River in Bay City during the past three weeks.
The latest happened Monday afternoon when Michael P. Morris, 61, of Bay City drove his SUV into the river near the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bay County. Morris was later pronounced dead at Bay Regional Medical Center.
“It’s not unusual for people to drown, there’s so much done in the river. (But within) such a close time frame is unusual,” said Bay County Sheriff John E. Miller, whose office runs the county’s dive team.
On Saturday, Donna J. Rex, 45, was found in the river a half-mile north of Lafayette Bridge after someone called police to say a woman was calling for help. She died the next day at Bay Regional Medical Center.
Police are awaiting toxicology reports before ruling the cause of death in both the Rex and Morris deaths, said Detective Sgt. Joseph Lanava of the Bay City Police Department.
On Aug. 13, rescue workers pulled the body of Victor R. Young, 53, of Kawkawlin from the water near Pier 7 Marina. After an autopsy, his death was ruled an accidental drowning.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Saginaw River Station, the three are the only confirmed drowning victims in the river this year.
Handling cases of people in distress on the river can be tough, officials say.
Miller said the county’s dive team can take up to 30 minutes to get on the scene.
“We try to get there as soon as possible, but we have to call people in generally,” he said, adding that dive team members usually aren’t in the office waiting for a call.
The most difficult aspect is locating the precise spot where a person was last seen, said Petty Officer James Collins with the Coast Guard station in Hampton Township. Callers who report the sightings often give landmark descriptions and not exact locations.
“Our time frame varies depending on the source of information and how reliable it is,” Collins said. “Our requirement is to be on the water and en route within 30 minutes.”
Bay City Police Chief Michael J. Cecchini said even when help is on the way, it may not be enough, or soon enough.
“The police department is equipped with buoyant rings or devices we could toss out to people, but we’re not equipped to do water rescues. Part of the issue is getting there early enough in time to help.”
For the Bay City Fire Department - which is equipped to handle water rescues of people above the water, though not below it - response time is often more immediate.
“We typically have a boat in the water in three to four minutes and on the scene in five to six,” said Chief Greg Michalek.
In Rex’s case, Michalek said fire department personnel had her out of the water seven minutes after the call came in.
On a yearly basis, Miller said the number of bodies pulled from the river can range from zero to five.
It depends on the year as to when the most deaths occur. Summer has more people congregated on the river and bay, but winter brings other issues, officials say.
Collins said ice anglers or snowmobilers on the ice can get themselves into deadly situations.
“Historically, the winter has been our biggest for the number of drownings É due to ice,” he said.
Cecchini said the risk of drowning can be minimized simply.
“You need to be careful around the water,” he said.
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