In the pre-dawn darkness over Lake Erie yesterday, a small vessel ran aground near Starve Island, leaving one man dead and two others hospitalized, officials say. U.S. Coast Guard crews responded in the early morning hours and pulled three men from the water, one was unconscious, and another suffered major injuries. All three were taken to Ohio hospitals, and one later died.
Rescue timeline and response
As reported by CBS News Detroit, the Coast Guard's Detroit sector received a notification at about 3 a.m. and launched a boat crew five minutes later, then sent a helicopter at 3:42 a.m. Boat personnel pulled two men from the water around 4:20 a.m., one unconscious and the other with major injuries, while the helicopter located and picked up a third man who reported no injuries. All three were transported to hospitals in Ohio, and one died at 6:20 a.m., the outlet reports.
Where it happened
Starve Island is a tiny, low-lying islet off South Bass Island in Put‑in‑Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, and can be difficult to spot in normal conditions. The island sits in the Bass Islands chain and is roughly 50 miles east of Toledo, according to Wikipedia.
Coast Guard safety reminder
The Coast Guard urges boaters to wear properly fitted life jackets, monitor weather and water conditions, and carry reliable communications, consistent with national boating-safety campaigns. Per the U.S. Coast Guard, wearable, USCG-approved life jackets should be accessible and fit correctly. The Coast Guard's 2023 recreational boating statistics also note that drowning accounted for 75% of fatalities and that 87% of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets, and the U.S. Coast Guard urges boaters to make safety equipment and float plans part of every trip.
Investigation ongoing
Officials have not released details about what caused the grounding, and the Coast Guard said the incident remains under investigation. As CBS News Detroit reports, authorities have not yet disclosed how the vessel came to run aground.
