BAY CITY (WWJ/AP) A boater, who went missing on Memorial Day weekend in Saginaw Bay, has been found dead.
The nearly week-long search came to a tragic end Saturday morning when a fisherman saw his body in the bay, according to the Bay County Sheriff.
Cole Zielinski’s fiancé, Mackenzie Rant, said they were boating together last Sunday when his dog started to slip off the boat. When he went to save the pup, he fell into the water more than a mile into Saginaw Bay.
mLIVE reports Rant could not get to him before he disappeared, and the boat was still running.
Police told mLIVE there is no evidence of foul play.
You only need to search Zielinski's name on Facebook to see how loved the 29-year-old was. The Facebook page "Search for Cole Zielinski" had nearly 4,000 followers.
“Love you like a son buddy,” Teresa Graham posted on the Facebook page. “My heart is broken.”
He also had a young daughter.
“One of the hardest things I had to do is sit with…his daughter,” Greg Buzzard posted. “My Bug and let her know they found her daddy.”
A GoFundMe has been started to help the little girl and her mother who is not currently working, according to the page, so she can be with her daughter as they cope with their loss. DONATE HERE.