Woodbury man dies after visiting ‘unforgiving’ spot in Michigan

A Woodbury man died Wednesday after an accidental fall while vacationing in Michigan.

Vikrant Kole, 26, died at Spectrum Health Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he had been airlifted after being found underwater.

Lt. Craig Mast with the Oceana County, Mich., sheriff’s department said officers received a call at 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, of a swimmer in distress in Silver Lake – a popular vacationing spot about a half-mile east of Lake Michigan near Shelby Township.

Kole had been on a dune area when he fell down a steep drop-off that plunges down into Silver Lake, Mast said.

“It has a nasty, nasty drop-off,” he said. “It’s a very beautiful spot, but you need to be aware of your surroundings. It’s unforgiving.”

A recovery diver found Kole, who had a pulse at the time, Mast said. Kole, who had been underwater for about 40 minutes, was airlifted to the Grand Rapids hospital, where he died two days later.

Kole was on vacation with coworkers from 3M at the time of the incident, Mast said. He added that Kole was a native of India and that his body was being flown back to family there.

There was no sign of foul play, Mast said, calling the incident “completely accidental.”

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