Rescued kayaker went out to retrieve duck he shot

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP - The kayaking man hospitalized after being rescued from Lake Erie on Thursday morning had a lot to be thankful for.

Mitchell Waters, 18, of Curtice, told police he took the kayak out on the lake Thanksgiving morning to retrieve a duck he had shot, according to the incident report. Waters said the duck started swimming and his friends were hollering its location to him.

By the time he turned around, he said, he realized he was out too far from shore and attempted to make his way back. Waters reportedly appeared to be about 150 yards out and was not wearing a life jacket. It was at that point the kayak flipped over and went down. Waters said he had gone under a couple of times and was struggling, later telling police he thought he was "going to die out there."

Kenneth Grosjean, owner of Knecht's Beach and Marina, said he was walking his dog on the beach when he saw Waters go down. Grosjean ran to the marina and got a boat. He said the boat he used to rescue Waters was not his, but he was lucky because the keys were in it. He also called 911. Another witness, James Vischer, helped Grosjean perform the rescue.

When officers arrived around 7:40 a.m., Grosjean and Vischer were just leaving the marina to retrieve Waters. Waters said he went under one more time and was grabbed by the two men and pulled aboard.

After the rescuers returned to the dock, sheriff's Deputy Curtis Cochran tossed a blanket onto the boat for Waters as members of North Central EMS boarded to check on his well-being.

Cochran said in the report that Waters eventually was able to stand up and step off the boat with some help. He was then taken to Magruder Hospital and later released.

The kayak sank and was not recovered, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The fate of the wounded duck is unknown.

jstinchcom@gannett.com

419-734-7504

Twitter: @JonDBN