A Toledo man was killed in what appeared to be a personal watercraft crash early Friday on the Ottawa River in Point Place.
The Lucas County Coroner’s Office identified Charles Swyers, 59, as the victim. An autopsy for Mr. Swyers had not been scheduled as of Friday afternoon.
Washington Township fire Capt. Tom Yunker said firefighters responded about 7:30 a.m. to the Ottawa River near North Summit Street and Shoreland Avenue after a passer-by reported seeing a yellow personal watercraft idling, stuck in lily pads, with no one around.
A short time later, they located a body submerged in about three feet of water right behind the personal watercraft, Captain Yunker said.
The personal watercraft was about 50 yards from the shore and 150 yards west of the Fred Young Bridge that carries Summit Street over the Ottawa River, Captain Yunker said.
Authorities believe the victim might have run into the bridge support because of apparently matching marks on the personal watercraft and the bridge, he said.
“This may have happened in the dark, for all we know,” Captain Yunker said.
The victim was not wearing a life jacket, he said.
“Any time you are on any type of water and on any type of watercraft, you always want to wear a safety jacket,” Captain Yunker said.
“No matter how calm the water seems to be, things change very, very quickly, so we always recommend wear your PFD [personal flotation device], no matter your age, no matter your experience. Play it safe,” he said.
The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which released no additional details.
Fatal personal watercraft crashes are not unusual nationally, but locally they are rare, Captain Yunker said. He could not remember the last time an incident like this happened in the greater Toledo area.
On June 22, Kevin Sullivan, 16, a Perkins High School senior, was fatally injured in a personal watercraft crash near the Edison Bridge in Sandusky Bay near Port Clinton. He died two days later at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center.
Contact Mike Sigov at: sigov@theblade.com, 419-724-6089, or on Twitter @mikesigovblade.
First Published July 9, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
