PORT SHELDON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Authorities have identified the two men who died following a water emergency on Lake Michigan near the Pigeon Lake Channel over the weekend.
The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded around 1:12 p.m. Saturday to reports of a person struggling in the water near the south pier of the Pigeon Lake Channel in Port Sheldon Township.
According to investigators, a group of acquaintances was gathered in the area for a social event when several members of the group jumped from the pier into Lake Michigan.
Authorities said 24-year-old Philip Lochirco of Warrenville, Illinois, began having difficulty in the water. Several others entered the water in an attempt to help him.
During the rescue effort, 26-year-old Jalen Shaffer of Grand Rapids also went under the water, according to the sheriff's office.
Members of the group were able to pull one man to shore, while bystanders provided flotation devices and called 911. Responding deputies, firefighters and marine patrol crews located the second man and brought him to shore.
Despite lifesaving efforts, both men were pronounced dead.
The sheriff's office said the investigation remains ongoing, but the deaths are not believed to be suspicious.
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