ASHTABULA, Ohio (AP) — The Coast Guard intervened to rescue five individuals who were found clinging to a cooler in Lake Erie after their boat was swamped by a wave off the Ohio coast.
The 22-foot boat, located approximately 10 miles off the coast of Ashtabula, was struck by a wave, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson. Upon receiving a distress call, a Coast Guard helicopter crew from the Air Station in Detroit diverted from another rescue mission on Lake Erie to assist.
The helicopter crew promptly airlifted the five individuals, all of whom were unharmed, and transported them to Northeast Ohio Regional Airport in Jefferson, Ohio. Officials highlighted that all five were wearing life jackets, underscoring the importance of boaters wearing such safety gear.
Following the rescue, the helicopter crew refuelled and returned to respond to an initial distress call near the Perry nuclear power plant in North Perry, Ohio. In that incident, responders managed to rescue two individuals wearing life jackets and recovered another individual from the water who tragically did not survive.
Authorities initiated a search for a fourth individual who was reported missing but suspended the operation late Saturday.
