Sisters huddled for warmth for hours after father accidentally drove into Lake Macatawa
PARK TWP. — Two girls managed to escape a car after it crashed into Lake Macatawa because the back hatch opened — though it’s not yet clear how — after which they huddled together for warmth for hours before they found help.
The girls’ father — identified as 52-year-old Jon Dowler of Otsego — was killed in the crash that happened around 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. Authorities say Dowler drove into Lake Macatawa where Jenison Avenue ends north of Lakeway Drive.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Eric Westveer said investigators believe it was an accident.
The girls, ages 8 and 10, told deputies they and their father were headed home after visiting a family friend.
“They (said) they kind of fell asleep and they (woke up) to the sound of the crash and then hitting the water,” Westveer said.
The car started slowly filling with water.
“They said the back hatched opened,” Westveer said. “What we don’t know yet is how that back hatch opened because there’s not a lever on it like a normal side door. But they stated the back hatch opened and they were able to crawl out of that and then they swam to shore."
“Divine intervention, or it could be as simple as dad hit the button,” he added.
The girls came ashore at a private yacht club. It was the middle of the night — no one was there. They tried to get help at nearby cottages, but most — as summer homes — were empty. Eventually, the girls found an enclosed porch, where they waited out the night. Westveer said “survival mode” kicked in.
“One of the comments they made to the officer that actually talked to them … they told him that on a TV show, they learned that if you huddle together, you can use each other’s body heat to stay warm,” Westveer said. “They were soaking wet and it was 30 degrees out.”
It was seven hours before they found someone to help them. Around 9 a.m., they found a cottage with someone home. The homeowner quickly brought the girls in and called 911.
“He gave them a hot drink and some warm blankets to try to warm them up,” Westveer said. “Him getting them out of the elements at that time and started warming up definitely saved their lives.”
Investigators determined the crash was accidental. Westveer said speed may have been a factor and also acknowledged that the stretch of road where it happened is dark.
“At this point, we believe that the father became disoriented, not familiar with the area, which ended up (with) him ending up in the water just because of the way that road is constructed there,” Westveer said.
Jenison Avenue dead-ends into the lake without any barricades. It’s not an official boat launch, but it’s used as one by neighbors during the summer. Westveer pointed out that the road is straight, without curves that would encourage drivers to slow down.
“At the end of the road where the pavement ends, there’s about a 20-foot stretch before the water that’s kind of sand and gravel,” he said. “We did not locate any tire marks in that area, so that tells us that at that point, he was airborne before going into the water.”
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After the girls got out, the car kept floating deeper into the lake. Around 2 p.m. Sunday, some 12 hours after the crash, dive crews found it between 150-200 feet out. Dowler’s body was still inside.
Westveer called it a “freak accident.”
“I don’t think that it needs to be marked better. It is properly marked,” he said. “It’s not a high-volume roadway where these types of situations can occur regularly. To my knowledge, we’ve never had an incident like this at that location like this before.”
Dowler’s family declined to comment Monday, asking for privacy.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sisters huddled for warmth for hours after father accidentally drove into Lake Macatawa
