SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Authorities in Summit County announced on Monday that they have located the body of a 70-year-old man who went missing while kayaking near Oxbow at Cascade Valley Metro Park on Sunday.
The Akron Police Department says officers responded to the McDonald’s in the 1800 block of Merriman Road around 9 p.m. after calls came in that Doug Maher "did not arrive to meet his family at a pre-planned location in Brecksville."
Following a search, Maher's body was located by a Summit County Metro Park ranger. His kayak was close by. A number of departments contributed in the effort, using drone technology to cut down a search that could have taken several days, to a matter of hours.
“From what the rangers had said, the waters were up four foot more last night than just today," said Akron Fire Department Lt. Timothy Morrison. "So when they were out looking last night they were unable to see him. They were able to find him today.
You can watch Morrison's briefing in the player below:
Morrison added that kayaking appeared to be a pastime for Maher.
"There were quite a few family members here and they said he was a very outdoorsman type of person, ran marathons, was very active," Morrison stated.
Officials say they still don't have a cause of what led up to Maher's death. The investigation is ongoing.
