Search continues for 2 missing men after boat capsizes in Detroit River near Grosse Ile

12 rescued by nearby boater

GROSSE ILE, Mich. – Multiple agencies have been looking for two men after a boat capsized in the Detroit River near Grosse Ile on Sunday night around 7:30 p.m.

Officials said 14 people were originally onboard the 39 foot boat when it turned over. Twelve were saved by a boater who saw everything happening. Two people are still missing.

READ: US, Canadian authorities search Detroit River for missing people after boat capsizes

Of the two missing men, one has been identified as Robert Chiles, 52. Chiles lives near the water and police used his boathouse as a makeshift headquarters as they searched.

The other missing person has been identified as Stephen Rooney, 66, who is a priest of a church in Trenton. Grosse Ile police and members of the Coast Guard are still searching.

The boat the men were on has been recovered. Police said said the boat is in storage and being examined to find out what went wrong.

READ: More local news coverage


About the Authors

Victor Williams joined Local 4 News in October of 2019 after working for WOIO in Cleveland, OH, WLOX News in Biloxi, MS, and WBBJ in Jackson, TN. Victor developed a love for journalism after realizing he was a great speaker and writer at an early age.

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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