Authorities in Branch County say an elderly man is dead after falling out of a boat and drowning in Coldwater Lake Tuesday afternoon. A woman had contacted Central Dispatch at around 5:00pm after observing a man floating in the water near where she was fishing.

Before emergency crews arrived, other people in the area began assisting and pulled the man out of the water. They administered life saving efforts but after being taken to a hospital in Coldwater, the man was pronounced dead. There are reports that he may have suffered from some kind of health condition which caused him to fall into the water. His name has not been released at this time, but it is believed he was between 80 and 90 years old.

The Branch County Sheriff Department says the Lakeland Fire Department and Life Care Ambulance were the first to respond to the scene.

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