Vessel 1 was adrift with 9 persons on board.  The persons on board had been jet skiing, tubing, and swimming for approximately 5 hours when Occupant 2 and Occupant 4 jumped into the water (without lifejackets) for one last "cooling off".  Shortly thereafter, Occupant 4 began yelling for assistance; he was approximately 100-150 feet away from Vessel 1 and an approaching storm front had started generating 2-foot waves.  At this point Occupant 2 was nowhere in sight.  Occupant 3 then jumped into the water and swam to Occupant 4 (without a lifejacket); Occupant 3 then began pulling Occupant 4 back toward Vessel 1.  Occupant 8 and Occupant 9 put on lifejackets, grabbed two additional lifejackets, then jumped into the water to assist as well.  When Occupant 8 and Occupant 9 reached Occupant 3 and Occupant 4, they were able to get lifejackets on all parties.  Occupant 3 and Occupant 9 were then able to get back on board Vessel 1, while Occupant 4 and Occupant 8 drifted farther from Vessel 1.  Meanwhile, the Operator of Vessel 1 had contacted the United States Coast Guard who responded to the scene (along with another Multi-Agency Police Vessel).  The USCG pulled Occupant 4 and Occupant 8 from the water and a search was started for Occupant 2 within minutes of their arrival on scene.

The United States Coast Guard crew and the Police Boat crew both believed that all parties on Vessel 1 were under the influence of alchol.  The Operator of Vessel 1 was interviewed immediately after the incident at the United States Coast Guard Station; he refused to perform a sobriety test or submit to any chemical test.

The Victim (Occupant 2) was recovered in Euclid, Ohio on July 19, 2010.
Cleveland                     