- Dates
- 1982-09-02 – 1982-09-29
- Kind
- Accident
- Where
- Beaver Island
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- maritimeemergency-managementcommunityfamilycommunication
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
On September 2, 1982, John, Kenny, and Dennis Kenwabikise left Beaver Island in a 16-foot skiff to check fishing nets and disappeared in rough weather. The September Beacon describes the multi-agency and community search, the recovery of Kenny and Dennis near the sunken boat, and the later recovery of John on Grape Island. An October follow-up reports Sheriff George Lasater’s recognition of Dick Burris and planned recognition for other search contributors, as well as early work toward a disaster plan.
Evidence limits
This is a community newspaper account, not a complete Coast Guard, police, maritime, medical, or civil case file, certificate register, or completed emergency plan.
Sources
- Reports that John, Kenny, and Dennis Kenwabikise left the harbor at 4:30 a.m. September 2 in a 16-foot skiff to check nets near the two-mile buoy. Island boats and planes, Coast Guard patrol boats, helicopters, an Air Rescue Service plane, State Police divers, a bloodhound, and Garden Island searchers participated. The bodies of Kenny and Dennis were found near the sunken boat, and John’s body was found on Grape Island on the following Saturday. The report is a community account, not a complete Coast Guard, police, maritime, medical, or civil case file. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1982-09_Beaver-Beacon
- The held thirteen-page September issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the tragedy and search report.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1982-09_Beaver-Beacon
- Publishes the family’s thanks to divers, pilots, ground search teams, private boaters, donors, people who supplied food, flowers, funeral money, transportation, and accommodations, and the Beaver Island Club of Ludington for donating the cemetery plot. This is a family acknowledgment, not a complete relief or expense ledger. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1982-10_Beaver-Beacon
- The held sixteen-page October issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the Kenwabikise family acknowledgment.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1982-10_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports Sheriff George Lasater presenting Dick Burris a certificate of recognition for his search effort, asking Deputy Gebert to compile names of other contributors for certificates, and describing plans for a disaster plan after the crisis. This is a newspaper follow-up, not a certificate register or completed emergency plan. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1982-10_Beaver-Beacon
- The held sixteen-page October issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the sheriff's recognition and disaster-planning follow-up.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1982-10_Beaver-Beacon
Added 4 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Kenwabikise brothers die in Beaver Island fishing accident and search, 1982”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-kenwabikise-fishing-tragedy-search-1982/, accessed [date], citing “Tragedy on Beaver Island,” by Kitty McNamara, Beaver Beacon, September 1982. (and 4 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-04. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “Kenwabikise brothers die in Beaver Island fishing accident and search, 1982”RIS for “Kenwabikise brothers die in Beaver Island fishing accident and search, 1982”