Millcreek Township, PA – Overnight, shortly after 11:00 PM, first responders from West Lake, Fuller Hose, and Lake Shore were dispatched to assist the United States Coast Guard (USCG) with a report of a sailboat in distress off Beach 10. At the time of the incident, a frontal passage near Cleveland was tracking eastward across Lake Erie, intensifying wind and wave activity in the region. Crews faced challenging lake conditions, with wave heights reaching 4 to 6 feet during the peak of operations.

Millcreek’s 487 and 497 responded to Baer Beach for a location to launch 497. Engine 924 diverted to beach 10 to establish shore command. Erie County Public Safety advised responders that a park ranger reported having a visual of the sailboat and marked it’s location approximately one-half to three-quarter miles offshore to the east of Beach 10. Engine 924 subsequently made contact with the park ranger and stood by on Beach 10.

Shortly after, Boat 497 launched with three souls on board with initially choppy conditions on the lake. Boat 497 advised that they were experiencing rapidly deteriorating lake conditions and was going to have a delayed response time. Lake Shore attempted to launch from Lampe Marina but returned due to deteriorating conditions and relocated to Beach 10. Soon after, the USCG’s 45-foot vessel made contact with the vessel in distress. With the USCG out with the boat, Fuller’s 219 stood by at the East Avenue boat launch due to lake conditions approaching operational limits and relocated to Beach 10.

Boat 497 requested county to reach out to the USCG to request if they still needed help as conditions were continuing to decline and they were approaching operational limits of their vessel. At around this time, an updated was provided that the USCG was in the vicinity of the vessel but unable to reach the sailboat due to shallow waters. West Lake’s L5 requested for dispatch to start Lake City to Beach 10 to have an additional boat on standby. Shortly after, it was advised the USCG was able to get the vessel under tow and make their way into the bay.

Boat 497 was able to clear the incident and returned to Beach 10. Lake City was able to help West Lake move 487 to Beach 10 to assist with loading of Boat 497.

The USCG utilized the Courtesy Dock at the Wolverine Park Marina while they conducted their investigation.