Man nearly drowns in Branch County lake

COLDWATER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A young man is in critical condition after nearly drowning in a Branch County lake.

Joseph Reinhackel and friends were at Messenger Beach at Memorial Park in Coldwater Township on the afternoon of July 5.

The friends lost sight of Reinhackel, who was swimming, and began to search for him.

An 18-year-old male and a 19-year-old female yelled to people on the shore to call 911, and then went into the water to search for the 20-year-old from Coldwater.

The two teenagers asked adult swimmers to form a human chain during the search.

They found Reinhackel, who was 8 feet below the water's surface, and pulled him to shore. Witnesses said he was under water for six or eight minutes.

People on the shore performed CPR on Reinhackel. Coldwater police officers arrived around 5:50 p.m. and continued CPR.

Reinhackel was revived but still unconscious at the scene. An ambulance took him to Community Health Center of Branch County and then a medical helicopter took him to Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo.