81-year-old dies on Pontiac Lake while ice boating

81-year-old man dies ice boating on Pontiac Lake

Investigators believe the man died after hitting his head on the ice. Everyone FOX 2 spoke with said the incident is sad on so many levels — an 81-year-old husband and father lost his life on a lake doing what he loved.

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a deadly ice boating accident. It happened on the easternmost part of Pontiac Lake about 100 yards from shore Sunday at noon.

"We received a report of an individual who was severely injured while they were out sail, ice boating and had been pitched off of their boat and came into contact with the ice," said Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

Dan Erwin Campbell was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Terrible, terrible," said Joyce Eriksen. "Every time I hear about someone passing away due to a boating accident, it’s terrible."

Campbell had been an avid ice boater for more than 50 years.

Ice boating is a sport where you’re essentially sailing on ice. Boaters average between 30 to 50 miles per hour while gliding across frozen waterways.

At times they can hit speeds up to 100 miles an hour.

Boaters scout lake conditions at least a week before taking to the ice and say safety is their top priority.

"Even though this man had prepared, he had a helmet and a face shield," Bouchard said. "When you’re traveling at high speeds when you strike something, it can be very traumatic."

Bouchard says it’s unclear how fast Campbell was going.

FOX 2: "You’ve been ice sailing before, what is that like?"

"Cold, fast. much faster than the water," said Eriksen.

"We skate out here and we pass all the time and say hi," said Raquel Bacon.

Bacon lives off of Pontiac Lake and would often see Campbell sailing.

"It’s sad and it’s hard to believe," Bacon said. "I mean you don’t imagine that happening.

"And he’s experienced I mean I’ve seen him plenty of times. It’s not like this was his first run around."

The investigation is still underway but FOX 2 spoke with the victim’s son who believes the boat was hit with a wind gust that caused it to capsize.

Campbell’s family will remember him as a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He exercised daily, was energetic and fully independent at 81 years old.