The search for a person feared to have fallen through the ice on Lake Erie was called off Sunday afternoon, after first responders said they could find no signs of a victim.
A family in Oak Harbor feared that someone had fallen into the ice and called for help around 9:45 a.m.
"I was just scanning the ice and saw what looked to be a fisherman about as far as you could see on the ice," said Brian States. "I had somebody else look and they confirmed, yeah it looks like someone out there."
The family says they weren't sure what to do when they looked back across the ice and the person appeared to be gone.
Homeowner Judy Lanfranchi said, "Then we debated, should we call? Should we call someone? Is this a false alarm? And finally, in good conscience, we had to, and we called 911."
Searchers spent three hours on Sunday trying to determine if someone had gone missing on Lake Erie.
Carroll Township Police Chief Jody Hatfield said, "Right now, we are going to call the search off. There have been no further signs: no equipment found, no footprints or anything that have been located out on the ice."
The Carroll Township Police were assisted in the search by first responders from Ballville Township, Jerusalem Township, Allen-Clay Joint Fire District, Carroll Township Fire and EMS, Ottawa County Dive Team and the Ottawa Sheriff's Office.
Chief Hatfield says pulling together the resources for a search effort can cost roughly $10,000. But in these situations, it's important to err on the side of caution.
Police ask that anyone who might have been out on the ice Sunday morning in Oak Beach, to call them and let them know they're okay.
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