Authorities recover body from Lake Erie

7/20/2006

A male body was recovered yesterday from Lake Erie less than four nautical miles southwest of West Sister Island - near where a Toledo man is feared to have drowned Saturday during a fishing trip with two other city residents.

Authorities have not identified the body, which was recovered about 9 a.m. by the U.S. Coast Guard. An autopsy is scheduled for today at the Lucas County coroner's office.

A fisherman saw the body floating in the water at 7:30 a.m. and notified authorities, said Steve Kahle, a coroner's investigator who went with the Coast Guard on the recovery.

A Coast Guard helicopter and two boats searched for Odell Scott, 25, for more than 13 hours during the weekend in the waters near the island, which is about 12 miles north of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant.

Authorities were notified of the apparent drowning almost two hours after it occurred because the men Mr. Scott was with reported that they didn't have a mobile phone or radio on their boat. They traveled about 20 miles back to land before notifying anyone.

Donald Bork, 63, said the three were fishing about 500 yards off the island when the wake of a boat caused Mr. Scott to fall into the water. Mr. Bork said he and Jack Snyder, 36, jumped into the water but were unable to find Mr. Scott, authorities said.

Mr. Snyder told authorities Mr. Scott had jumped into the water to swim.

When they realized they hadn't seen him in a while, they jumped in to look for him, but were unsuccessful.