Rescue crews recovered the body of a fisherman in Lake Champlain Tuesday night. He was reported missing when his fishing boat was found earlier in the day.
Police identified him Wednesday as 68-year-old Michael Dattilio of Essex.
The death is not considered suspicious, but the incident is under investigation and the body has been taken to the Office of the Medical Examiner for an autopsy to confirm “the cause and manner of the death,” police said.
The search crew located the body 40 yards from shore in 14 feet of water between North Hero and Alburgh, according to a Vermont State Police release.
A post from Brig. Gen. Greg Knight on the Vermont National Guard’s Facebook Wednesday said Dattilio was retired from a more than 40-year career with the military and was state command sergeant major for the Vermont Guard for more than 10 years.
State police said they received a report at around 2 p.m. Tuesday reporting that the man’s aluminum fishing boat, with his belongings in it, was located near the railroad trestle connecting North Hero and Alburgh.
The Vermont State Police Scuba Team and other members of the agencies staged the rescue on Pelots Point, which is near the North Hero Marina.
In addition to state police, other agencies assisted include the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a helicopter from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Alburgh, Grand Isle and North Hero fire departments, and the Clinton County (New York) Sheriff’s Department also helped with the search and rescue operation.
