The metro Detroit boating community is mourning the loss of three of its own, who died after the vessel they were on collided with another boat onLake St. Clairthis week, and detectives continue to investigate what happened and who may be responsible.
Macomb County Sheriff's Commander Jason Abro said Friday, Oct. 9, that an individual was brought to the sheriff's office, questioned and released pending further investigation. He declined to identify the person or confirm whether it was the 40-year-old Roseville man who was operating the other boat involved in the nighttime collision on Oct. 7. The sheriff's office previously said that the boat operator is cooperating with investigators.
Abro said no one has been charged or arraigned in the incident,
which occurred near MacRay Harbor in Harrison Township.
The three people who died were aboard a 1981 23-foot Formula Thunderbird. They are Craig Miller, 52, of Macomb Township; Heidi Baldwin, 56, of St. Clair Shores, and Gerald Grzadzinski, 64, of Chesterfield Township. Many people took to social media to remember the friends they lost.
Abro confirmed that Grzadzinski's wife, 58, survived. She was ejected from the vessel during the collision, the sheriff's office and township fire chief previously said. She swam what authorities believe to be 60-90 minutes to shore, where she sought help and was taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
A woman who answered a phone number for her Oct. 9 told a Free Press reporter: "No comment at this time. Thank you," before hanging up.
The sheriff's office said four people were on the 1991 28-foot Sea Ray Sundancer that the Roseville man was operating, including a child, a 36-year-old woman and another woman. Sheriff's spokeswoman Jennifer Putney said no injuries were reported on that boat.
The P.L.A.V. Post 6 in Hamtramck posted on its Facebook page that Baldwin was a bartender there, a member and friend. She worked a couple of days a week occasionally at least eight years ago, was an Air Force veteran, loved the water, was a great person, and her pride and joy was her son, said Kathie P., a manager at the post who only provided the initial of her last name.
Kerry Reedy, 11-year owner of MacRay Harbor, told the Free Press on Oct. 8 that the collision happened in Anchor Bay, just outside of the marina's harbor. He said a MacRay Harbor member was brought back to the marina by the boat occupied by the trio who died and the survivor. Reedy said the group of four left, then the collision happened.
Reedy said he frequently saw Grzadzinski, describing him as someone who had been around the boating industry for a long time, was a boat mechanic and previously had his own shop. He said Wednesday jaunts on the lake were a regular occurrence for the group. He said Grzadzinski knew boats and the lake well.
Abro said there is a lot of interest in the case, especially among the boating community, and said it's "tragic for both sides."
"It hits home for someone who knew someone who (is) deceased," he said, adding it's the sheriff's office's responsibility to have an evidence-led investigation.
Abro said multiple interviews are being conducted to establish the facts and circumstances, including where the boats were coming from and going to. He said investigators are poring through video surveillance from nearby marinas and businesses to glean more insight into what occurred.
Abro said they are also looking at reconstructing the collision, which could determine the boats' speeds. That could take several weeks, he said.
Abro said "it's premature to draw any conclusions," and investigators have to look at the cause and potential responsibility on anyone's part. He said there was a 911 call that came to the dispatch center, but the sheriff's office is not yet releasing any audio or video as the incident remains under investigation.
With three of the boaters dying, Abro said investigators don't have information from them to help determine what happened.
He said there is a lot to look at with these types of investigations, including impact, speed, navigation equipment and lighting systems.
Abro did not know, at this stage, if drugs or alcohol were involved.
The county medical examiner's office said it is unable to provide details because the case is under investigation, spokesperson Scott Turske said in an email.
Aerial footage of the capsized boat being towed on WDIV-TV (Ch. 4) on Oct. 8 showed damage to the vessel, including a large hole on the rear starboard side. The boat was owned by Grzadzinski, according to state records.
Abro said detectives are also tracking down information the sheriff's office received about someone involved in this incident who may have been involved in another fatal two-boat crash on the lake in 2015.
"We're getting all kinds of information," he said. "Some we can rule out immediately, others we have to track down, too."
Anyone with information about the Oct. 7 incident is asked to call the detective bureau at 586-307-9358.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Boating community mourns 3 who died on Lake St. Clair, investigation ongoing
