A 21-year-old man and father of two from Ohio has been missing since Tuesday, July 11, after falling off a boat in Lake Erie, per Mahoning Matters. The man was identified as Samuel Ickes Jr., and he was reportedly separated from the boat by a strong current and winds, according to officials. The US Coast Guard launched a search around South Bass Island the same day the incident occurred.
Sam’s girlfriend, and the mother of their two children, posted pictures of what he was wearing that day on her Facebook page, hoping someone has seen him since he went missing.
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Sam fell overboard while boating on Lake Erie.
Sam was on a 27-foot boat when he went overboard, reported Mahoning Matters. The Coast Guard released information confirming the incident took place around 10:30 p.m. that evening, per Cleveland.com.
The Coast Guard also stated that due to inclement weather conditions that day, the man was not able to make it back to the boat.
After 24 hours, the search was suspended.
US Coast Guard Great Lakes provided an update on the search for the young father on Wednesday, July 12, on its Twitter account. The statement reads: “The Coast Guard suspended the search Wednesday evening, pending further developments, for a man who fell overboard near South Bass Island in Lake Erie Tuesday night. Search efforts by multiple agencies continued for nearly 24 hours.”
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Sam’s friends and girlfriend are hoping and praying for his safe return.
Sam’s girlfriend, Mackenzie Bryant, made a heartbreaking Facebook post following his disappearance. The post had pictures of Sam on the boat before he went overboard and was captioned, “THIS IS WHAT HE WAS WEARING!!! COME HOME TO US BABY PLEASE."
A friend of the young family, Morgyn Vanover, posted on her Facebook that they were planning to hold a donation drive on July 16 for baby and children’s items, as well as household items, to help the Ickes/Bryant family during this challenging time.
Morgyn wrote, “We are asking for everyone to continue the overwhelming love and support within the community, by stopping out to give this deserving family a hand during this tragic time!” and added “again, ANYTHING is appreciated! continue prayers & let’s #bringsamHOME!”
Several social media users said the family had already suffered previous losses, making this one even more devastating.
Several Twitter users commented on the US Coast Guard's search update on Wednesday evening, stating that Sam’s family has suffered several losses recently in addition to his disappearance.
One user wrote: “This is my friend's son, she already lost a younger son a few years ago.”
“His brother was my friend and he passed away so this makes things harder especially for his family,” another commented.
Our thoughts are with Sam’s family, as well as his girlfriend and children, during this difficult time.
