The couple that bought our house loved it. They loved the way it was furnished, the view of the lake, Ruth’s eye for the smallest detail, and they told us at closing, “We could see right away that this house is filled with love.” They went on to say, “We’ll do our best to continue what you’ve begun.”
I left a detailed list of how everything worked. We had two drain fields, and I switched the underground valve every 4th of July. We had a dual zone air conditioner that worked best when both zones were turned on simultaneously. I pointed out the outside water shut off valves in the basement and the importance of turning them off before the weather turned cold. I shared information regarding at least another dozen items that I thought would be helpful.
The new owner called me once that first week. He asked about the water valves in the furnace room. I told him that the washer and dryer were in the room before we added the master suite. There was a utility sink there as well. Everything was moved when we built the addition. “I haven’t used them in years, but I’m sure they still work.” That’s the last time we spoke. It was the day before Thanksgiving 2020. Ruth and I were on our way to Florida.
The following March 20th was Michigan warm. Michiganders were enjoying the spring weather with temperatures in the 50s so the new owner, and one of his sons, decided it was time to start using the lake. His entire family, and several friends, came to enjoy the weekend. It was the first large gathering of the spring season.
The rowboat they purchased from us needed a new motor mounting plate. The old one was deteriorating so they decided to replace it before attaching the small outboard motor they brought with them. Being an avid fisherman, I think he determined it was best to make the adjustment before launching the boat.
The next-door neighbors observed them work for much of the afternoon. Once the repairs were made, the son and father duo mounted the motor, but as the neighbors reported, they had trouble starting it. Eventually, it fired up.
Later that afternoon, as the group was preparing for the evening meal, the new owner told his daughter to, “Make me a plate. I’m going to take a short ride.” At least that’s what the news article stated.
The news article also said, “A small fishing boat flipped over and a man who was in it went missing. He was seen going under the water.”
The authorities were called. The local police and fire departments, Hillsdale County Sheriff’s office, and Michigan State Police conducted a search until it was too dark to see. I read a report that stated they set up their rescue operations on the open lot across the bay from us. You can see it in this picture. Divers found his body the next morning.
I know most of this because the same neighbor who called me about Ruth’s passing, sent me a text after the tragic event. She wanted to know if we had heard. We hadn’t. She also told me that the son used the canoe to help with the search.
I think about this from time to time. At least three other people drowned in our lake while we lived there. One drowned a couple dozen years ago. He, too, fell into the cold March waters and died. Hypothermia triggered a heart attack.
Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees. Hypothermia occurs as your body temperature falls below 95.
When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system and other organs can’t work normally. Hypothermia can lead to complete failure of your heart, respiratory system and death. No one has confirmed this, but I think this killed the man who bought our house.
I’ve wondered if he’d still be alive if he hadn’t changed his mind about buying our boat or if Tom had sold it to others so it couldn’t be returned. I also wondered if the newly mounted motor had failed and he stood up as he tried to restart it. That’s what happened to the last man that drowned.
But I’ll never know.