Missing Lake Erie boater identified as Plum man

A man missing in Lake Erie since Saturday morning is from Plum, according to information provided by Ohio authorities.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources identified the missing man as Raymond Burns, 58.

The agency said Burns was in a recreational fishing boat that was swamped by a squall around 9:45 a.m. The boat was in deep water north of Conneaut, Ohio, at least 10 miles offshore, according to agency spokeswoman Maureen Kocot.

Kocot said Coast Guard and firefighter search teams looked for the missing boater Saturday in rough weather, but more severe weather and large waves on the lake prevented a search Sunday.

Also, electrical service in the Asthabula and Conneaut area was out to about 30,000 people, according the fire department serving the Conneaut area.

On Monday, the weather and conditions on Lake Erie allowed authorities to resume their search.

“ODNR officers are currently conducting a recovery mission using side scan sonar,” Kocot said.

Kocot said Burns was a fisherman on a boat with three other people who were rescued by a commercial fisherman just before 10 a.m. Saturday.

ODNR identified two of the other three men as David Harris, 65, of Plum, and Thomas Burns, 63, of Enon Valley. The third man was not identified. Thomas Burns and Harris were taken to an area hospital, the agency said.