Man Drowns While Attempting To Rescue His Fiancée's Dog From River

A man has been reported dead after drowning while he was attempting to save his fiancée's dog from a river in Alpena, Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 21.

The 36-year-old Lainsburg man, whose name has not been disclosed to the public, was reportedly trying to save his fiancée's dog from a river when he "slipped on the wet rocks" of Thunder Bay River near the intersection of Second Avenue and Carter Street and tumbled into the water.

The man, who then disappeared from sight was subsequently found dead at the bottom of the Thunder Bay River, about 20 feet from shore under about 20 feet of water in Alpena on Sunday afternoon, People reported. The man's fiancée and her dog managed to escape safely out of the water.

According to Alpena Fire Chief Bill Forbush, the search for the man was declared a recovery mission about an hour after officials responded to the scene. The operation finally came to an end at around 2:30 p.m. after deputies from the Alpena County Sheriff's Office who were searching the water in dive gear came upon the body, MLive reported.

"It's tragic that we couldn't have a more positive outcome," said Forbush.

According to the Alpena Fire Department and Police Departments, multiple boats and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter assisted in the search for the missing man. In addition to these, the Alpena County Emergency Management Team, Michigan State Police, and Victim Services also assisted in the search.

Forbush applauded those who helped with the recovery mission and noted that they "did the very best they could."

In Sunday's release, Forbush applauded the rescuers' "extraordinary" attempts to rescue the missing man and also credited the Alpena County Central Dispatch for doing "an incredible job" with coordinating communications during the response.

"We are so appreciative of the outstanding response and assistance of the other agencies on scene," he said. "So much assistance from so many people," Forbush said. "It certainly wasn't for lack of trying."

According to statistics provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on average, 11 people drown a day in the United States.