A Michigan couple died in two separate accidents between Christmas and New Year’s Day, according to local officials.
Scott Levitan, 66, and Mary Lou Levitan, also 66, were both residents of Livonia, a suburb west of Detroit. According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the sequence of events unfolded after Scott Levitan fell into a frozen lake on Dec. 26.
The Michigan resident, who was ice-fishing with his 15-year-old grandson, was drilling a hole into the ice on Lake George in Addison Township at the time.
When attempting to save his grandfather’s life, the teenager also fell into the lake but was later rescued and treated for his injuries.
“The two had gone onto the ice and were drilling a hole to go ice fishing when the ice gave way, and the grandfather fell into the ice water,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The boy called 911 and then attempted to help his grandfather out of the water but the ice broke and he fell into the water too.”
Authorities said a local resident saw the Levitans and “quickly grabbed a kayak” to rescue them.
“[The rescuer] was able to assist the boy out of the water and then grabbed a second kayak to assist the grandfather,” the sheriff’s office noted. “The neighbor could not remove the grandfather because the ice kept breaking but he was able to keep the grandfather’s head above the water until help arrived.”
The next day, Mary Lou Levitan was on her way to pick up her husband’s vehicle when she was fatally injured in a car accident, according to police. Scott Levitan was on life support at that time.
The sheriff’s office said a 19-year-old driver crossed into the northbound lane of an Oakland Township road “for an unknown reason,” striking the car in which Mary Lou Levitan was riding.
Mary Lou Levitan, who was a backseat passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on Dec. 27. Her husband was removed from life support on Dec. 31.
In a statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed his condolences to the Levitans.
“This is an unspeakable tragedy that has befallen this family in a very short time,” Bouchard said. “Two tragic and unrelated incidents happen within 24 hours of each other.”
“It’s hard to wrap your hands around it. Our prayers are with the family.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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