Three individuals were saved, and a fourth individual is being sought in Lake Erie in Ohio following a distress signal on Saturday morning, as indicated by authorities. The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes station received the distress call just after 10:30 a.m. A helicopter was dispatched from the Coast Guard air station in Detroit, and a boat crew from the Cleveland harbor also set out for the search. However, an hour later, the helicopter was redirected to another rescue operation in the lake off Ashtabula.
Around 2 p.m., a local fire rescue boat crew reported discovering coolers and other debris floating one or two nautical miles off the Perry nuclear power plant. After refueling, the Detroit crew returned to the search and rescued one individual in the water, while the fire department boat crew saved another. Both individuals were conscious and wearing life jackets. The Cleveland harbor crew retrieved a third individual who was unresponsive, and there was no immediate update on their conditions.
Authorities were informed that a fourth individual was in the water, and it was uncertain if that individual had a life jacket. Rescuers were continuing their search efforts. The Detroit helicopter crew, which had been diverted, rescued five individuals clinging to a cooler in Lake Erie approximately 10 miles off Ashtabula after their 22-foot boat was engulfed by a wave. They were transported to the northeast Ohio regional airport, with officials noting that none of them had any medical issues.
