Ypsilanti drowning victim was trying to retrieve child's shoe

Martin of Ypsilanti, was walking up some stairs from the parking lot in Riverside Park to Michigan Avenue shortly after 5 p.m. with his sister, her daughter and goddaughter, Det. Sgt. Troy Fulton said. That's when one of the children's shoes fell into the water, Fulton said.

Martin hurried down the stairs and swam to the middle of the river, Fulton said, searching for the shoe, but couldn't find it.

After a couple of minutes, Martin attempted to swim back to the riverbank but struggled and went under, Fulton said. Caught in a strong current, Martin was swept down the river about 30 to 40 feet, Fulton said, as he bobbed up and down a couple of times.

He then went under and did not resurface. A 21-year-old Inkster man swam out to search for Martin, Fulton said, but couldn't find him.

Authorities responded at about 5:15 p.m., including the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office Dive Team. After a 30-minute search, Fulton said, a diver found Martin on the bottom in 12 feet of water.

When Martin was found, he was 30 feet from the river bank and roughly 60 to 70 feet from where he initially went under, Fulton said. Martin was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy is scheduled for this afternoon.

Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.