Body of Missing Diver Recovered From Lake Michigan Shipwreck

A scuba diving trip in Lake Michigan has ended in tragedy, after the body of an experienced diver was recovered from a shipwreck several miles off the Lake Michigan shoreline.

A Difficult Lake Michigan Recovery

According to MLive, 61-year-old Michael Jones of Wilmette, Illinois, died September 4 while exploring a deep shipwreck about 18 miles off the Chicago coast. His body was recovered Tuesday, September 8, from a depth of roughly 160 feet. Jones was an experienced recreational technical diver and worked as a dental surgeon.

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The recovery was handled by Bruce’s Legacy, a nonprofit volunteer organization that specializes in recovering drowning victims from difficult underwater locations. Two Bruce’s Legacy volunteers, Brad Chown and Jeff Haubrich, located Jones and brought him back to shore, where they were met by police and firefighters from Wilmette.

Why Deep-Water Recoveries Are So Challenging

And this was apparently an extremely difficult recovery. Bruce’s Legacy founder Keith Cormican says the operation presented both technical and emotional challenges because of the depth and the distance from shore.

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Cormican also says there is “a much longer story behind this mission” that he may share at another time.

Bruce’s Legacy Has Helped With Difficult Recoveries

Bruce’s Legacy was founded in 2013 in memory of Cormican’s brother, Bruce, a firefighter who died in 1995 while trying to rescue someone from a swollen creek. According to DiverNet.com, The organization uses specialized equipment, including side-scan sonar, remotely operated vehicles and deep-water diving gear.

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The circumstances surrounding Jones’ death have not been publicly released. Local authorities also have not explained the specific challenges involved in responding to the deep-water recovery.