Elderly Couple stranded on Lake Erie, found in Vermilion.
A routine fishing trip turned into a 21-hour ordeal for an elderly couple rescued on the morning of June 22 at Romp’s Water Port in Vermilion.
According to a report from the Vermilion Police Department, the couple had launched from Copper Kettle Marina in Lorain around noon the previous day. The woman told officers it took several hours for her boyfriend to prepare their fishing gear, and by the time they left the dock it was already dark.
During the night, they became disoriented on the lake. A phone notification led them to believe they had drifted near the Canadian border. By morning, the boat ran out of gas and had to be towed back to shore by a passing vessel.
When first responders arrived, the woman showed signs of sunburn and minor injuries from being tossed around during the night. She had not eaten or taken her medication since the day before. LifeCare personnel evaluated her condition, and she agreed to go to the hospital.
Her boyfriend, however, refused transport and attempted to take control of the boat, which officers noted had fresh front-end damage, likely from striking submerged rocks. A safety inspection revealed the vessel lacked proper distress signals. Police terminated the voyage until those safety requirements could be met.
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified, but the investigation into the apparent crash was turned over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
No further assistance was needed from local police once ODNR took over the scene.
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