PORT CLINTON, Ohio — An airplane crashed into the Portage River west of Port Clinton on Saturday afternoon according to the Ottawa County sheriff.
The Sandusky post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol says the Cessna 206 seaplane plane went down around 4:13 p.m. near the 4600 block of W. Harbor Rd.
There were two occupants of the plane, 72-year-old James Raymond Lenardson, of Bonita Springs, Fla. - who was piloting the plane - and 67-year-old Leo Joseph Eggert Jr. of Perrysburg. Both were taken out of the water and taken to the hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time.
OSHP said Lenardson was traveling east on the Portage River attempting to take off but struck a power line as the plane was ascending after which Lenardson lost control and the plane crashed into the river.
Lenardson and Eggert were able to get out of the plane before it sank both reached the shore.
A high-voltage power line was knocked into the river and across a cottage at the Resort at Erie Landing.
FirstEnergy confirmed that over 100 people were without power as a result of the plane crash.
Power was restored sometime on Saturday evening.
Alcohol and drug use is not believed to be a factor in the crash, OSHP said.
On Sunday, the plane was recovered from the river with the help of local Port Clinton company, New Wave Snorkel & Scuba, who provided WTOL 11 with photos of the plane.
Local company recovers crashed seaplane from Portage River in Port Clinton
Editor's note: An Ohio State Highway Patrol media release received by WTOL 11 on Saturday stated that alcohol or drug use was believed to be a factor in the crash. The OSHP issued a correction early Sunday to clarify that neither is believed to be a factor in the crash. The above report reflects this corrected information.
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