By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A Highland Township man drowned over the weekend.

Deputies with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Highland Township substation and the Highland Township Fire Department responded around 5:35pm Sunday to a residence in the 1500 block of Essay Lane on the report of a subject who had fallen into a pond and not resurfaced.

The 64-year-old man was mowing the lawn when his hat blew off and went into a pond.

A report says a witness inside the home observed the victim through a window attempting to retrieve his hat from the water. The witness then stepped away from the window for a few minutes. When she returned to the window, she could no longer see the victim at the shore of the pond. She contacted the landlord, who called 911.

Deputies arrived, assessed the situation, and immediately requested the OCSO Dive Search and Rescue Team. The victim was located in water approximately 14 feet deep and returned to shore. He was said to be beyond help and was transported to Huron Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

An Investigator from the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office responded and took possession of the deceased and an autopsy has been scheduled. The incident remains under investigation.