Father of three passes away after rescuing two children from drowning
UPDATE — 6:44 p.m. Friday, August 19, 2016 (EDT) — The father who rescued two boys from drowning in Lake Michigan on August 4th and was transported to the hospital in critical condition has passed away.
We can confirm through family members this evening that Kevin Thomas Ketchum, age 53, of Shelby Township, passed away August, 17, 2016.
He was born in Detroit, Michigan on February, 26, 1963. Kevin saved two small children in Lake Michigan and is considered a hero for his rescue efforts.
MANISTIQUE — While on vacation, a ten-year-old boy having difficulty getting to Lake Michigan’s shore needed help from Manistique’s Public Safety Department.
At 5:36 p.m., the department was dispatched to Range St. and US-2. When they arrived, officers were told that there were three victims struggling in the water.
Witnesses said that two young boys had been swimming when they started to have difficulty in the high waves. The father of the boys went into the water to try and help his children. All three were rescued from the water by officers and EMS personnel.
The children, both boys, required no treatment. However, the 53-year-old father was transported to Schoolcraft Memorial and then air-lifted to UP Health System – Marquette in critical condition.
Stay with ABC 10 for the latest on this story.