An Ohio woman is facing charges after a young neighbor went missing during a boating trip on Lake Erie, with another passenger found deceased the following day, according to authorities.
Eleven-year-old Angelique Cunningham disappeared Wednesday night while out on the water with neighbors Kristen Gerry, 41, and Jonathan Shiha, 38. Tragically, her body was discovered the next day.
Gerry was arrested and charged with child endangerment related to the incident, as reported by a local ABC affiliate.
She was responsible for overseeing Cunningham when they set out from Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township. Reports indicated that Cunningham vanished from the boat within just 15 minutes of departure.
Authorities stated they had exhausted all options in their search for the girl and officially called off rescue efforts on Friday night.
The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department later shifted the mission from a search operation to a recovery efforts.
Angelique’s body was located near the shores of Lake Erie on Sunday, though officials have yet to confirm her identity.
Shiha’s body was discovered on Thursday morning after a nearby boater alerted emergency services. A deputy coroner concluded that he drowned, but the exact details surrounding his death remain under investigation.
Gerry managed to swim ashore following the incident and was questioned about the mysterious circumstances surrounding both Cunningham’s disappearance and Shiha’s death.
The boat was found on Thursday at West Sister Island, not far from where the incident occurred.
The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department expressed their condolences in a statement, urging the public to give emergency personnel space to conduct their operations effectively.
Gerry is currently being held on a $50,000 bail, according to booking records.
Details about the events that unfolded on the boat remain unclear, as does the nature of the relationship among Gerry, Shiha, and Cunningham.
The investigation into this tragic situation is still ongoing.
