Missing man found dead in Marblehead

9/12/2006

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio - The body of a man who was reported missing Wednesday in Lake Erie near Kelleys Island was found Sunday near the Marblehead lighthouse, the U.S. Coast Guard and Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported.

The man was identified as Lawrence Peaslee, 60, of the Mount Gilead area in Morrow County, Ohio.

Jason Klien, a park officer at the lighthouse, said surfers saw the body and reported their discovery about 4:50 p.m.

The Coast Guard initiated a search at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when another boater reported that a man jumped off a swimming platform on his 32-foot pleasure boat.

The Marblehead Coast Guard station launched a boat and a helicopter from Detroit assisted in the futile search.