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Michael "Mike" Brook of Waynesboro, PA— originally from Silver Spring, MD— was found dead near Harrisburg Internation Airport around 3 p.m., on Thursday, April 13, 2023, authorities with Dauphin County explained.
First responder radio broadcast that a body was pulled from the river near the Steelton boat launch and Daily Voice reached out to Harrrisburg's Director of Communication Matt Maisel around 12:30 p.m.
A water rescue was underway in Harrisburg by the Dock Street Dam, but it soon turned into a recovery search after a boat capsized earlier the same morning.
The other man in the boat was rescued and is in the hospital recovering, according to Maisel and his family.
The pair were out fishing according to a friend of the family.
Mike attended John F. Kennedy High School in Montgomery County, Maryland and in 2012 began working at the John Allison Public House according to his Facebook.
The Public House has already posted about their tragic loss writing the following, in part:
"When people say “we are at a loss for words”, that truly does not begin to describe our loss at the John Allison. Today, a colleague, friend and member of our family was taken from us far too soon. Mike Brook has been with us from the beginning (13 years); we don’t even need to describe Mike, because our guests and community know Mike, his sense of humor and his truly caring heart was one of a kind. He had the jokes and wasn’t afraid to use them. He also managed to set his shirt on fire while leaning over a candle, run over anyone and everyone behind the bar, and break anything in his path. He also offered a listening ear to everyone. We would trade anything to have him back behind the bar breaking another mug."
One of his co-workers also posted, mentioning his silly nicknames for people.
Mike enjoyed fishing and watching football, especially the Redskins. He was also known for three things: his handlebar mustache, wicked sense of humor, and kind heart.
He's been sporting the 'stache for years and even had his avatar rocking it.
And even posted on social media with that sarcastic wit.
But his kindness is something he showed through his actions, raising funds for St. Jude's Children's Hospital on his birthday, fundraising for his nephew during a difficult time, and thanking people who were there for him when his mom died in 2019.
With behavior like that, although he often joked about going to hell, maybe he is somewhere a bit more pleasant.
Funeral and memorial service details have yet to be released.
We've reached out to the Dauphin County Coroner's Office for more information but have yet to hear back. Follow Daily Voice for updates.
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