Search for boater on Lake Milton to resume

staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — The search for Henry Martin, 34, of 155 Jefferson St., Campbell, the boater lost on Lake Milton Sunday, will resume at 10 a.m. today. He was among three men in a small boat that overturned in high waves Sunday. The other two men were rescued.

Sheriff Wellington identified them as Sean Cordova, 30, of 248 S. David St., Girard, and Michael Tooney, 27, of 202 Pittsburgh St., Columbiana.

Capt. Bill Hack of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department said the search for Martin continued Monday until 5:30 p.m. “The boaters can’t really pinpoint where they went down. We make a grid of the lake and search,” Hack said. Ten divers are involved in the search.

He said the search was hampered by choppy water. “But its starting to calm down. ... We’re hoping for better conditions,” he said.

Milton Township Fire Chief Rick Pellin Jr. said the three men were in a pleasure boat late Sunday afternoon when high winds from the remnants of the hurricane Ike hit the Mahoning Valley. It appeared they couldn’t get off the lake quickly enough, and their boat overturned near the Mahoning Avenue causeway in waves that were reaching 6 feet high, he said. Pellin said his department got the call about 6:45 p.m. Sunday.

None of the three was apparently wearing a life jacket, Pellin said, noting that a Lake Milton State Park officer on duty was the first to reach the scene by boat and was able to pull the two men from the water. They weren’t injured.