Perrysburg man identified as apparent pond drowning victim

7/28/2014

Mitchell

ERIE — An apparent drowning victim in a private lake on Sterns Road in Erie Township has been recovered and identified as Jason G. Mitchell, a 34-year-old Perrysburg resident.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office underwater recovery team, assisted by the Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office dive team, located the body in about 7 feet of water at about 1 p.m. Sunday.

Mr. Mitchell’s body was transported to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, where an autopsy will be conducted.

Anyone with information about the incident at the lake is asked to contact Deputies Ryan Sottile or Enrico Galimberti at 734-240-7700.

At about 8 p.m. Saturday, a 28-year-old Toledo-area woman was operating a personal watercraft on the lake off of Sterns Road, between Suder Road and South Dixie Highway, and Mr. Mitchell was riding as a passenger, according to information from the Monroe County sheriff’‍s office.

The passenger, who was not wearing a personal flotation device, apparently fell off the watercraft and then disappeared under the water, the sheriff’s office reported.

Monroe County’s dive team and its aviation unit, along with the Washington Township Fire Department, and Morin Point Fire Department searched from about 8:15 p.m. Saturday until about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, and later in the day resumed the search.

A helicopter circled the area, shining a spotlight on the rescue work for part of that time.