A woman in Ohio accidentally drove a golf cart with her and three of her children into a lake, which led to the discovery of her missing 4-year-old son and husband, authorities reported.
The crash happened around 10:40 p.m. Saturday at Atwood Lake, next to Atwood Marina West, about 85 miles southeast of Cleveland.
Accompanied by her 18-year-old twin sons and 15-year-old daughter, she ended up steering the golf cart into the water, as detailed by Sheriff Orvis Campbell of the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office in a news release.
Atwood Lake in Ohio seen with colorful trees. (Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District )
“Extensive searches were conducted without locating the boy or the husband,” Campbell wrote. “After analyzing numerous statements from the woman, her children, and other witnesses, it became clear that there was suspicion of foul play.”
By the end of the day, the husband was still missing.
Another search commenced on Sunday. A witness recounted seeing the husband with the children’s mother at the precise boat dock where the 4-year-old child was discovered.
During the search, boats equipped with sonar detected an object 50 yards from the dock. Divers were dispatched and discovered the 45-year-old husband around 8:30 a.m.
The bodies were handed over to the coroner’s office, while investigators spent the rest of the day executing a search warrant.
People fishing in Atwood Lake. (Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District )
“The identities will be officially released by the Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office once all family members have been informed and identities verified,” Campbell wrote. “We are confident that the deceased are the 4-year-old son and the 45-year-old father of the family, but names are being withheld due to identification protocols.”
The mother was hospitalized for some “mental health concerns” and her 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons were released to family members.
