A man fishing on Indian Lake was pronounced dead at the hospital Thursday after his boat capsized about 12:15 p.m. in the area of Tecumseh Island.
The identity of the middle-aged man had not yet been released as of press time by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft, which is investigating the incident.
A watercraft rescue team from the Indian Joint Fire District responded, along with Indian Lake EMS, Washington Township Police and deputies from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office. When the dive and rescue team arrived, several individuals from residences in the 9000 block of Maple Street had pulled the man to land.
By the time aid arrived though, the man had already been underwater for several minutes.
The man was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital, and CPR and life-saving measures were attempted en route, but the victim was pronounced dead shortly upon arrival at the hospital.
“I saw a boat come by about 20 mph and make a hard left, and that’s when he fell out,” said Garrett Prenger who witnessed the man go underwater.
Prenger, 18, is a senior at Jackson Center High School working construction for his grandfather, Fred Rostorfer’s, construction company A+A Contractors during the school shutdown. He was painting a dock in the area of 9000 Maple Street, Tecumseh Island, when the boat capsized and the victim became submerged.
“I saw him fall out and started to go under and I tried to help him,” Prenger said. “I got in a skiff and used a two-by-two piece of wood to row out there to him.”
Prenger said he is an avid outdoorsman and regularly fishes Indian Lake.
“My mom has trained me on what to do in an emergency on the lake,” Prenger said.
The man was not wearing his lifejacket when the boat flipped over.
“I think people sometimes take Indian Lake for granted out there because they think it’s not too deep or stuff like that,” Prenger said. “But you can’t take anything for granted on the water.”