By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A former fire captain involved in a high-profile ice rescue on Lake Erie in 2015 died from a heart attack at age 55, family and department officials said.
• The man, a longtime firefighter and rescue specialist, retired from his fire department earlier this year.
• He gained recognition for leading a rescue that saved multiple people stranded on ice in frigid conditions.
• The family said he had no known serious health issues before the sudden heart attack.
• Funeral arrangements and tributes from colleagues were announced by his fire department.
MUSKEGON, MI — A retired fire captain known for leading a dramatic ice rescue on Lake Erie in 2015 died Saturday from a heart attack at age 55, his family and former department officials said.
The former captain, a veteran firefighter and rescue specialist, had retired earlier in 2026 after more than two decades of service, according to his family.
He rose to prominence for coordinating a rescue operation in 2015 that saved several people stranded on ice in frigid water conditions on Lake Erie, events that were widely covered at the time.
Family members said he had no previously diagnosed serious health problems before suffering the sudden heart attack at his home, and they described his passing as unexpected.
His former fire department announced funeral arrangements and said tributes from current and former colleagues are being organized to honor his service and legacy.