Rescue Operations in Lake Erie, Ohio: 3 Saved, 1 Missing After Distress Call, Coast Guard Reports

Three individuals were rescued, and one remains missing in Lake Erie, Ohio, following a distress call on Saturday, according to authorities.

The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes station received a Mayday call just after 10:30 a.m. A helicopter was dispatched from the Coast Guard air station in Detroit, while a boat crew from Cleveland Harbor also initiated a search. However, the helicopter was redirected an hour later to another rescue operation near Ashtabula in the lake.

Around 2 p.m., a local fire rescue boat reported discovering coolers and other debris floating one to two nautical miles from the Perry nuclear power plant.

After refuelling, the Detroit crew returned to the search and successfully rescued one individual from the water. Simultaneously, the fire department boat crew retrieved another person, both of whom were conscious and wearing life jackets. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Harbor crew recovered a third individual who was unresponsive; their condition remains unknown.

Authorities were informed that a fourth person had also been in the water, with uncertainty about whether they were equipped with a life jacket. Search efforts were ongoing.

The diverted Detroit helicopter crew additionally rescued five individuals who were found clinging to a cooler approximately 10 miles off Ashtabula in Lake Erie. Their 22-foot boat had been swamped by a wave. All were safely transported to the northeast Ohio regional airport without reported medical issues.