Marcy Burns said she felt relieved last Friday after learning that Canadian authorities had discovered her husband’s body in Lake Erie.

“Closure,” said Marcy Burns of Plum, whose husband had been missing since Aug. 17.

Raymond Burns, 58, had been fishing on Lake Erie when his 21-foot recreational fishing boat was caught in a storm and overtaken by large waves. Burns and three other men were thrown overboard into deep waters 10 to 17 miles north of Conneaut, Ohio.

The other men were rescued by a commercial fishing crew. Burns remained missing until Oct. 24 .

Maureen Kocot, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said Burns’ body was identified through a coroner’s examination.

Marcy Burns said the ODNR told her that her husband’s body was found by two duck hunters in a remote, marshy area of Long Point, Ontario.

He was still in his fishing vest when he was found, and authorities preliminarily identified him through the name and address on his fishing license. Dental records confirmed his ID by Wednesday.

The ODNR informed Marcy Burns in person the day her husband’s body was found.

She said she had been receiving daily updates for nearly 2½ months without seeing any progress in the search or experiencing any relief.

“I knew that there was a possibility that he may never be found,” she said.

The wait made it difficult for the family to grieve. One of Burns’ daughters flew in from Texas to be with her mother and sister. She returned after a few weeks had passed. The community held a memorial service, but it wasn’t quite the same.

“He never really had an obituary,” Marcy Burns said. “Just news reports of a man missing.”

A Canadian funeral home is handling Burns’ remains and will send his ashes to his family. Marcy Burns doesn’t know how long that will take.

Raymond Burns grew up in Plum, attended Plum High School and worked for almost 32 years in Plum’s municipal water and sewer authority.

Marcy Burns said she has been comforted by the support of her neighbors and the Plum community over the past few months.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)