Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

Unmanned boat spurs search

Officials hunt for lake resident after pontoon found adrift

By Margie Wuebker
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

A Mercer County Sheriff's Office boat plies the waters of Grand Lake at Riley Bay, searching for 57-year-old James Price Sr. of Behm's Landing near Montezuma. He allegedly disappeared while fishing alone on a pontoon Tuesday.

UPDATE:
The body of James Price Sr., 59, of the Montezuma area, was found by searchers in Grand Lake near Riley Bay at 2:20 p.m. today, according to officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Price reportedly went fishing Tuesday and never returned. His unmanned pontoon was found at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday near the north shore close to Wright State University-Lake Campus in Celina. Officials say it's too early to give a cause of death or other details. An autopsy is pending.
GRAND LAKE - Search efforts continue today for a Montezuma-area man whose boat was found afloat on Grand Lake on Tuesday night.
James Price Sr., 57, a resident of Behm's Landing, apparently went fishing alone Tuesday and never returned home, according to the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
A boater spotted Price's unmanned 22-foot pontoon adrift along the north shore in the area of Wright State University-Lake Campus and contacted authorities about 6:30 p.m.
John Wisse, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Watercraft, said an officer responded to the scene and found the pontoon's rear safety gate open.
"Our officer discovered some personal items like a wallet and sunglasses," Wisse said. "But we did not find anything to explain what might have happened."
After running the watercraft's serial number and talking with members of the Price family, authorities searched the lake from 9 p.m. to midnight.
"Our efforts resumed today at 6 a.m. with seven boats," he said.
The general search area covers a 3- to 4-mile area between Safety Island and Riley Bay near the campus. The perimeter could change as the situation unfolds, according to Wisse.
Boats from ODNR, the Division of Watercraft, the sheriff's office and Celina, Montezuma and St. Marys Township fire departments are involved in the search with personnel checking the water for anything related to Price or the pontoon.
"It's early ... We will be reviewing our efforts throughout the day and making decisions on how to proceed," Wisse said.
It is possible site scanner sonar could be brought in to aid in the search, along with additional manpower.
"We are analyzing water and weather conditions from last night ... things that determine where we should be looking," Wisse added. "We are not being presumptive at this point - we are looking for a missing boater."
Additional online stories on this date
Affidavit
A caged dog found dead in Grand Lake on June 2 reportedly was shot after it became aggressive and bit someone before it was dumped into the lake, a court affidavit says. [More]
ROCKFORD - The Parkway Panthers combined two great starting pitching performances and manufactured just enough runs to sweep a doubleheader by scores of 4-2 and 2-1 from the Marion Local Flyers in Mercer County ACME play Tuesday night at Don Black Field. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
The local wheat harvest began last weekend, about 21/2 weeks earlier than normal, said Chris Gibbs, executive director with the Mercer County Farm Service Agency.
WAPAKONETA - One county official believes the state may eliminate the gas tax and replace it with a per-mile tax to generate more funding.
Auglaize
Mercer County is considered almost fully employed, based on a report released Tuesday.
The county's May unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, down 0.3
Residents' input sought on lettering for water tower
MINSTER - A delegation of Parkview Subdivision residents at a Tuesday council meeting were happy to learn a stop sign will be erected in the next 30 days at the intersection of Parkview Drive and Settlers Lane/Harvest Court.
ROCKFORD - Village officials agree properties are getting cleaned up since a junk inspector was hired April 1.
Fire chief Paul May during Tuesday's council meeting said junk inspector Adam Saunders issued $300 in citations in the last month, and residents are following his orders.
CELINA - Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday passed a resolution to pay partial burial expenses for a local indigent veteran.
The county will pay $1,000 toward a bill of $1,150 for Keith N. Balfour, a Private First Class U.S. Marine Corps veteran who died May 17 at Celina Manor Nursing Home.
NEW BREMEN - A state official told about 100 community leaders at a New Bremen meeting Monday that a single online portal for all jobs programs in Ohio is on the way.
CELINA - Licking County got out to a quick start on Grand Lake pitching and rode it to a 9-3 win in Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League action at Jim Hoess Field on Tuesday night.
CELINA - The Wright State University-Lake Campus baseball team added another local recruit to its roster for the 2013 squad as Celina standout Derek Waterman reunites with former ACME coach Rob Howell on the Lakers' squad.
Tuesday's Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Christian Schramm fired a one-hitter as Coldwater won its third straight game in beating Fort Recovery 10-0 in six