Metro Detroit man who died while saving others from drowning honored by Oakland County sheriff
(CBS DETROIT) — One Metro Detroit man's quick thinking helped save lives, but ultimately, it cost him his own. Now, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office is making sure his good deed doesn't go unnoticed.
"He saw a co-worker who struggling in the water who was not a strong swimmer, and jumped in to save that co-worker, which he accomplished," said Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
On July 20, authorities say Marsalis Carter, a moving company employee, was helping a customer, and the team asked the homeowner if they could go out with them on their boat on Taylor Lake to cool off.
Eventually, one co-worker began struggling in the water.
"He got the person over to the boat and helped assist that person up in the boat and the others were so focused on getting that person in the boat, and then they turned back and he had slipped under the water," Bouchard told CBS News Detroit.
Officials say Carter helped save two of his co-workers. One had issues staying afloat, so Carter helped them to the boat and then jumped back in to save the second one.
Bouchard believes the heroic effort may have exhausted the 20-year-old.
"It took many, many hours for our dive team to search and rescue and the strike force from some of our partners. I think they found him 30-40 feet down hundreds and hundreds of feet away from shore," Bouchard said.
Bouchard also knows it's hard for families to grasp the fact of losing a loved one, which is why he wanted to recognize the life-saving measures.
"Giving him a posthumous life-saving award may give him some meaning for his sacrifice and recognition that their young son was a hero," he said.
In total, 10 drownings have been reported in Oakland County this year. It's a number higher than previous years, the sheriff says.
With still weeks to go in the summer, he wants boaters to beef up their life-saving equipment.
"Like a throwable rescue floaty, or have floatation devices and if people aren't strong swimmers wear them," Bouchard said.
