PARK TWP., MI (WHTC) – An autopsy scheduled at Spectrum-Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids should confirm whether a body recovered in the waters of Lake Michigan near Holland State Park is that of a missing 17-year-old Holland man.
Members of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department Marine Unit on Friday afternoon recovered the body about 300 yards north of the North Pier, and Sergeant Cal Keuning said that it is “tenatively believed” to be that of Christopher Mimis. Mimis was one of four teens who went into the waters off of the pier on August 31st despite red flags flying at the park due to a Beach Hazards Statement issued at the time by the National Weather Service.
Two of the teens were able to reach the shore safely, while the body of 14-year-old Vincent Green was pulled from Lake Michigan the following day. An extensive search for Mimis was halted last Saturday after three days, leading some family and friends to publicly criticize authorities for not maintaining such a surveillance, although the Sheriff’s Department and other agencies continued to search for Mimis for the past week.
A memorial service for Green is slated for Saturday morning at Maple Avenue Ministries in Holland, where a benefit car wash to help defray funeral expenses was held last Sunday.
