Found Deceased MI - Cole Zielinski, Saginaw Bay, 30 May 2021

Following... Mysterious in light of his athleticism, life jacket, etc. What happened to him? Self-harm creeps into my thoughts... foul play, also.
Hoping for good news soon.
Thanks for the thread, @Yesiamapirate.
Your thoughts are like mine. I have read the official find Facebook page as well as some others from family.
Boating accidents happen but the circumstances here are unusual, MOO .
His family must be heartbroken. I
Hope they have closure.
 
The Find Cole FB page notes now that the man that led the air searches is not being talked to by police!?

Facebook Groups

I was just reading this as well. It sounds like he may be having some flashbacks/mental instability. He apparently is saying that he’s thinks Cole was murdered and may not have been on the boat. Lots of drama happening there.
 
I am also finding it very curious that he would direct her to call the coast guard/911 if he was close enough to her to be able to talk to her and the boat was stopped. My hubby and I have a boat, and this is just not what would happen if one of us fell overboard.
 
Mr Pirate and I are boaters as well. I wondering if he always wore his lifejacket on the boat?

Possibly. It does look like there are several pictures showing him with the life jacket. We (probably stupidly) never wear our lifejackets. Maybe if it was very rough? Or a storm? But not just for a “sunset cruise” as his fiancé called it. We would never jump into 50 degree water for our dog either. The dog will swim to you.
 
Wow, Roger Nickel, a volunteer has been arrested.

Then early Thursday morning, Bay County deputies were called to the Speedway off of Wilder Road in Bay City. That’s where police said they found Nickel acting “erratic” -- allegedly throwing trash cans and vandalizing the property.

On Thursday afternoon, Nickel was charged with assaulting, resisting and obstructing police.

Bay County volunteer searching for missing boater arrested
 
Following.
I am in Michigan, live on a lake and just spent the weekend at Lake Michigan, Up North.
I need to catch up on news articles on this one but some things are sounding kind of hinky to me.
then again, it could just be a tragic accident.
 
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IF he had a life jacket on, he would FLOAT--he would not be under water...he would FLOAT
He would be seen.
So--either he did NOT have a life jacket on or there were cement blocks weighing him down.

I am not blaming anyone, just an observation and knowledge about life jackets
JMO-- from living on a lake all my life
""Although Zielinski had his life jacket on, Rant said he was nowhere to be seen when she thought she got closer to him.
Fiancé of missing man last seen in the Saginaw Bay not giving up hope (abc12.com)
 
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The water temperature on the day he went missing was 64°F (18°C) at the surface, which isn't cold. (Well, I don't think it is, although people from Florida may disagree....)

I was wondering if cold water may have triggered a cardiac or other medical issue, but I don't think that's the case.

His girlfriend didn't say anything about him making noise or shouting for help or giving any indication that anything was wrong......she just said that "he was further away when she moved closer."

But how did she 'move closer' to him in the water without getting in the water herself? Did she move the boat? Walk to the other end of the boat?

Culd he have been hit by the propeller if she started the engine?

Water temperature in Saginaw Bay, MI today | United States temp
 
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