Woman dies after paddleboard accident near Mackinac Island

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI – A 22-year-old Mackinac Island woman has died after being pulled from Lake Huron.

According to Escanaba television station WJMN, the woman was stand-up paddle boarding when she got into distress off the coast of the Silver Birches property on the north side of the island shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday.

Michigan State Police, Mackinac Island Police and the U.S. Coast Guard responded by pulling the woman from the water and attempting to save her life.

The woman was flown to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, where she later died. Her name was not released.

Michigan State Police said strong winds and waves had made rescue efforts difficult.