Car, unconscious driver pulled out of water near gravel pits

Jul. 22—A man between the ages of 20 and 40 was in stable condition after being pulled from a car that went into the water at the Bass River Recreation Area in Robinson Township on Thursday morning, police said.

The man may have suffered a medical condition, causing his car to go into the small lake at the opposite side of the boat launch at the former gravel pit, according to Capt. J. Douglas of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.

What actually happened remains under investigation.

Douglas said that if it was a medical incident, no further information would be released.

Emergency crews responded to the park shortly after 8 a.m. It was unknown what time the incident occurred before the car was discovered by a hiker.

Tonya Zoet was walking her dog when she saw what she first thought was a boat in the water.

"I walked up, saw it was a car and saw the door open," she said. "I tied up my dog, went into the water and found a guy in the car."

Zoet said she held the man's head out of the water that was filling the car and started calling for help. The man was unconscious, but had a pulse, she said.

"Typically, there's people all over the place fishing," she said. "But nobody was answering."

It wasn't long before Olivia Prins and Gary Winthorpe drove into the parking area and saw Zoet waving at them. They stopped and called 911.

The car had stopped in water that was approximately waist deep.

Allendale Towing pulled the car partway out of the lake, allowing the water to drain from the vehicle, and then took the car away on a flat-bed truck.

Robinson Township firefighters also assisted at the scene.