Apr 25, 2011 |

A 37-year-old man who was a passenger in a boat that capsized in Lake St. Clair on Saturday died as a result of drowning, according to preliminary autopsy results.

Hassen Randel of Eastpointe was unconscious when the U.S. Coast Guard pulled him from the water about a half mile east of the Clinton River, Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said. Randel was wearing a life vest.

The Macomb County Medical Examiner’s Office performed the autopsy Sunday.

The boat’s operator, a 48-year-old man from Southfield, also was pulled from the water — about 40 degrees — wearing a life vest. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for hypothermia, police said. The man’s name was not released; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, Wickersham said.

The men were in the water for about 30 minutes before being pulled from it by the U.S. Coast Guard, which arrived from a station about 20 minutes away, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Justin Westmiller said. One of the boaters called 911 about 4:30 p.m. Saturday and said the boat was taking on water and sinking. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.