 |
| A Howell man's leg was amputated when he was run over by a boat Sunday, June 17, in Gun Lake. |
 |
| Cameron Cichosz, 20, after he fell, amputating his leg in Gun Lake in Michigan |
 |
| 21-year-old Michael Butzke of Allegan is charged with operating a boat while under the influence of liquor causing injury after he ran over one of the boat's passengers, Cameron Cichosz, 20, after he fell, amputating his leg in Gun Lake in Michigan |
Driver of boat in Gun Lake crash that amputated man's leg jailed
June 18, 2018
By Emily Monacelli
emonacel@mlive.com
BARRY COUNTY, MI -- The driver of a boat, 21-year-old Michael Butzke, who ran over one of the boat's passengers after he fell, amputating his leg, has been arrested.
The 21-year-old Allegan man was booked into the Barry County Jail on a charge of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, according to deputies. Court records show the man has not yet been arraigned.
The victim of the accident has been identified by authorities as Cameron Cichosz, 20, of Howell.
The accident happened around 5:15 p.m. Sunday, June 17, in Gun Lake.
Cichosz fell from the side of the boat and was hit by the boat's propeller, according to police. Two doctors who happened to be in the area applied a tourniquet to slow femoral bleeding, which likely saved the man's life, Barry County sheriff's deputies said. Police identified those doctors Monday as Dr. Lauren Azevedo of St. John Hospital of Detroit and her husband, Dr. Ryan Keating of Henry Ford Hospital of Detroit.
Both doctors were visiting family and were on a pontoon on Gun Lake when they heard the calls for help and swam to Cichosz's aid. Cichosz had been brought back onto the boat by the time the doctors reached him.
They look like drunk Pollacks, don't they?
===========================
Boat driver jailed after man's leg amputated
June 19, 2018
ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) —
The driver of a boat that hit a man on Gun Lake, severing part of the victim's leg, has been jailed and faces a felony charge.
Online Michigan State Police records show 21-year-old Michael Butzke of Allegan faces a count of operating a boat while under the influence of liquor causing injury.
MSP records also show that since 2016, Butzke has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of operating while intoxicated, as well as single misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of property, failing to report a crash, having an open alcohol container in a vehicle, possession of marijuana or synthetic marijuana, violating license restrictions, being a minor in possession, and operating on a suspended, revoked or denied license.
The man whose leg was amputated was identified by the Barry County Sheriff's Office Monday as 20-year-old Cameron Cichosz of Howell. He was set to start boot camp for the U.S. Marine Corps in a few weeks, authorities said.
The accident happened around 5:15 p.m. Sunday on the southeast side of Gun Lake. Authorities say Cichosz fell into the water as Butzke turned the boat, at which point Cichosz's leg became caught up in the propeller.
Two Detroit doctors who happened to be on another boat on the lake, married couple Dr. Lauren Azevedo of St. John Hospital and Dr. Ryan Keating of Henry Ford Hospital, heard calls for help and swam to help Cichosz, who had been hauled back on to the boat. The doctors used a tourniquet to stem his bleeding.
Cichosz was taken to a Grand Rapids hospital, where he underwent surgery Sunday evening. His condition was not known Monday, but he was expected to survive.