Benjamin Ashford|Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater in Lake Erie; 2 others found alive, 1 dead

The Benjamin AshfordU.S. Coast Guard in Ohio suspended its search Saturday evening for a missing man after a 23-foot boat he was on capsized in Lake Erie.

The search first began around 10:34 a.m. Saturday when someone sent a MAYDAY call to Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes in Buffalo, New York, U.S. Coast Guard District 9 said in a news release.

A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit and a boat crew from Station Cleveland Harbor joined the search, but then nearly an hour later, the Air Station Detroit crew was sent to help with a separate person-in-the-water case in Lake Erie, off Ashtabula.

The Cleveland Harbor crew continued working on the initial case and the Air Station Detroit Crew returned to help after the other rescue was made.

At 1:46 pm, a local fire crew contacted Sector Eastern Great Lakes to tell them they’d found coolers and other debris floating in the water about 1 to 2 nautical miles off the Perry Power Plant.

3 people found in the water: 1 responsive, 1 unresponsive

The Detroit crew that was sent to another rescue took care of that case, refueled and came back to help. They found one responsive person in the water who was wearing a life jacket and rescued them.

The fire department boat crew also rescued one responsive person from the water who was wearing a life jacket. The Cleveland Harbor crew rescued a third person, a man, who was unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the Coast Guard said.

In addition to finding the three people, searchers also found their 23-foot vessel that had capsized and became partially submerged just before 2 p.m. Saturday.

Divers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office searched the boat. Investigators don’t know what caused the boat to capsize.

Fourth boater missing, search suspended

After the three boaters had been rescued, searchers found out there was a fourth person still unaccounted for. It was not immediately clear whether the person was wearing a life jacket or not.

To find the fourth individual, a boat crew from Coast Guard Station Fairport was sent out to look. Altogether, Coast Guard Station Fairport, the Detroit air crew and the local fire department searched for this fourth person.

The Coast Guard suspended the search Saturday evening after rescue crews searched by air and boat for 10 hours. The search encompassed 64 square miles, an area slightly smaller than the city of Cleveland, the Coast Guard said.

“Suspending a search and rescue case is one of the most difficult decisions for us to make,” said Capt. Mark Kuperman, the Commander of Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes, in a news release.

Over 10 agencies were involved in the search, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Lake County Fire Department, the Perry Police Department and the Mentor Fire Department.

Eventually the Cleveland Harbor crew was released from the search due to crew fatigue, the Coast Guard said.

Kuperman thanked the agencies that were involved in the search. He recognized the crews for trying to return the boaters to their families safely. 

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those involved in this tragic incident,” he said.

5 others rescued in Lake Erie Saturday

Elsewhere in Lake Erie Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued five people who were clinging to a cooler about 10 miles from the shores of Ohio, reported the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY network. The people were on a 22-foot boat that was "swamped" by a wave, sending the group into the water.

Someone from the group called 911, leading to their rescue. The Coast Guard shared footage from the rescue on social media.

Those rescued were all wearing life jackets and there were no medical issues, the Coast Guard said. The people were flown to the Northwest Ohio Regional Airport in Jefferson.

Contributing: Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].