On Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 5:26 p.m. Mason-Oceana 911 received a call reporting a capsized boat on Hart Lake and a man struggling to stay afloat. An 82-year-old Hart man, identified as Ronald Robbins, died at the scene. When the 911 call was made, dispatchers immediately initiated the water emergency response plan. This plan notifies Police, Fire and EMS agencies simultaneously and puts several things in motion, initiating a response from numerous agencies.
According to a press release from the Hart Police Department & Oceana County Sheriff's Office, "We were told by friends and family that Mr. Robbins was fishing in preparation for a fish fry on the bank for dinner that night. The incident occurred about 100 feet off shore from the residence at 112 N. Plum St.
"The caller to 911 reported seeing a boat that capsized in front of their house and a man in the water. The caller to 911 and her husband went to their pontoon boat and rescued Mr. Robbins from the water and brought him to shore, where they started CPR. Exhaustive resuscitative efforts were made at the scene but were unfortunately not successful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Robbins was not wearing a life jacket at the time he fell into the water.
"We are thankful for the eyewitnesses who saw what was occurring, called 911 and ultimately were able to rescue Mr. Robbins. This incident did not end well, but could have been so much worse. We could have been dealing with a missing person in the water for a long period of time.
"The Sheriff’s Office marine division responded and (was) able to get his boat righted and back to shore. A stern anchor was found attached to the boat. It is unknown if he was attempting to bring in the anchor when the boat capsized or not. Mr. Robbins boat was a 14-foot aluminum rowboat, that he docked a short distance from where the incident occurred.
"This is the first drowning incident in Oceana County in 2026. We have responded to several water-related emergencies already this year. We encourage everyone to wear their life jackets when enjoying all of the great bodies of water we have in our area. The Hart Police and Oceana County Sheriff’s Office extend our condolences to the Robbins family and all of the people involved in the incident yesterday.
"Life EMS, Hart Area Fire, Oceana Sheriff Marine Division, Hart Police Department, Michigan State Police – Hart Post, and the Michigan DNR all responded to the call."
