Search For Olivet Man Who Drowned In A Battle Creek River Continues

The search for a 19-year-old Olivet man who fell into a river in Battle Creek enters day three.

Search crews returned to an area of Battle Creek were the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers converge in an effort to recover the body of a 19-year-old Olivet man who fell into the river on Monday evening while trying to retrieve a purse of a friend that had fallen in.

On Wednesday, Calhoun County Sheriff Steve Hinkley said that divers from Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties and the Michigan State Police would be resuming the search. Hinkley said divers believe they located the body Tuesday but a strong current pulled the body away.

The initial search began Monday night with law enforcement using boats, drones as well as divers from ALURT (Area Law Enforcement Underwater Recovery Team). On Tuesday, divers spent 11 hours searching for the victim with help from other area agencies to help divers avoid exhaustion in strong currents. Sections of the river in that area can reach depths of 20 feet. The water in that area is swift-moving with areas that objects can get pinned under churning water.

Sheriff Hinkley said they will search the area where the two rivers come together near Hamblin Avenue and Kendall Street with a second simultaneous search happening a little further downstream.