A Michigan couple died in two separate accidents between Christmas and New Year’s, 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 in the ice on Lake George in Addison Township at the time.
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When he tried to save his grandfather’s life, the teenager also fell into the lake but was later rescued and treated for his injuries.
Scott Levitan, 66, and Mary Lou Levitan, also 66, were both residents of Livonia, Mich. (GoFundMe)
“The two had entered the ice and were digging a hole for ice fishing when the ice gave way and the grandfather fell into the icy water,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The boy called 911 and then tried to help his grandfather out of the water, but the ice broke and he also fell into the water.”
Authorities said a local resident saw the Levitans and “quickly grabbed a kayak” to rescue them.
“(The rescuer) was able to help the boy out of the water and then grabbed a second kayak to help the grandfather,” the sheriff’s office noted. “The neighbor couldn’t remove the grandfather because the ice kept breaking, but he was able to keep the grandfather’s head above the water until help came.”
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 the time.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating both incidents. (Google Maps)
The sheriff’s office said a 19-year-old driver crossed into the northbound lane of an Oakland Township road “for an unknown reason,” hitting the car Mary Lou Levitan was riding in.
Mary Lou Levitan, who was a backseat passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Dec. 27 crash. Her husband was taken off life support on December 31.
In a statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed his condolences to the Levitans.
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“This is an unspeakable tragedy that has happened to this family in a very short time,” Bouchard said. “Two tragic and unrelated incidents occur within 24 hours of each other.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, pictured here in 2022, offered his condolences to the family. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
“It’s hard to wrap your arms around her. Our prayers are with the family.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
