A 4-year-old boy and his 45-year-old father were found dead in a Tuscarawas County lake over the weekend, according to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies and Atwood Rangers responded to an incident around 10:39 a.m. on Saturday involving a woman and three children who crashed a golf cart into Atwood Lake next to Atwood Marina West.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said that after the woman was helped out of the water, she made concerning statements about conversing with God. The woman's 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons were able to get out of the water by themselves and were physically safe. The sheriff said it was evident that the mother intentionally crashed the cart.
After responding units had conversations with the woman and children, they became worried about the safety of the 4-year-old boy and the woman's husband, who could not be found, the sheriff's office said.
At approximately 6:03 p.m. on Saturday, divers found the 4-year-old boy off the end of a boat dock at the lake, the sheriff's office said.
The search for the man resumed Sunday morning, and information provided to deputies on Saturday led them to believe the man could be located off of the same boat dock the young son had been found near, the sheriff's office said.
Not long after the search resumed, divers located the body of the 45-year-old man about 50 yards from the edge of the dock, the sheriff's office said.
Different statements pieced together from the mother, children and other witnesses led authorities to suspect foul play, the sheriff's office said.
The mother has been hospitalized for mental health concerns.
Campbell said the 15-year-old daughter and 18-year-old twins were released to other family, and everyone in the family has cooperated with the investigation.
The sheriff's office said the family, who are Amish, is from Holmes County and was reportedly visiting the lake for the weekend.
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation.
The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District in New Philadelphia extended deep condolences to the family.
"We are grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and partnership of the many agencies who assisted in this response. MWCD will continue to provide all necessary support to the Sheriff as the investigation continues," the district said in a statement.
Rangers from the district assisted the sheriff's office in recovery efforts. They will have a joint news conference with the sheriff's office on Monday at 2 p.m. regarding the two deaths in the lake.
