2 Lake Erie boaters found dead are ID’d

Associated Press

TOLEDO

Ohio authorities have identified a teenage girl and a woman whose bodies were recovered in western Lake Erie near where their partially submerged boat was found. Two men were onboard with them and are now missing.

U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters on Thursday searched the lake for the boaters, who went out fishing on Wednesday afternoon.

Officials say they recovered the two bodies near the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant about 30 miles east of Toledo. Both were wearing life jackets.

A county sheriff’s office has identified one victim as 33-year-old Amy Santus, of Perrysburg, near Toledo. The other victim was 16-year-old Paige Widmer.

U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters along with other rescue crews began searching the lake about 2 a.m. Thursday after receiving a call about the group. The boaters were out on a fishing trip but were supposed to return early Wednesday evening.

The average water temperature within the search area was about 35 to 40 degrees, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities narrowed the search to an area about 30 miles east of Toledo after finding the 21-foot-long boat Thursday morning.

Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick said the boaters had contacted relatives Wednesday afternoon.

“They did send pictures back to family members of themselves fishing,” he said.

The boaters’ truck and boat trailer were found at a marina where they headed out on the lake.