LUCAS COUNTY — An active search for a missing 11-year-old girl near Lake Erie has been suspended and a woman is facing charges.
During a press release on Friday afternoon, Toledo Fire and Rescue Chief Allison Armstrong said that the search has been suspended, according to our CBS news affiliate, WTOL.
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Armstrong said search crews have exhausted all available resources after narrowing their search area based on the latest information.
She said that agencies deployed numerous resources throughout the search, but were unable to locate the missing child.
Armstrong said deteriorating weather conditions also factored into the decision to end Friday’s operation.
She said she did not know whether any agencies would continue the search throughout the weekend, adding that first responders would continue to respond if anything was discovered in the area.
Toledo Fire and Rescue said on Friday morning that they are no longer expecting a rescue.
The U.S Coast Guard has been called off from the search.
“Our thoughts remain with the family and everyone affected by this tragedy. We ask the public to continue giving emergency crews the space needed to conduct this difficult operation,” said Toledo Fire and Rescue in a statement.
Crews used radar and sonar technology to search for the 11-year-old girl, identified as Angelique Cunningham.
The recovery operation had resumed around 8 a.m. on Friday, about a mile offshore from Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township.
The investigation began around 9:50 a.m. on Thursday when dispatchers received reports of a body in the water near the marina.
According to officials, Cunningham had been on the water Wednesday evening with a family friend, 41-year-old Kristen Gerrie of Toledo, the owner of the boat.
Gerrie managed to swim ashore and contacted the family members, who contacted police.
The body located in the marina is believed to be the boat owner, according to Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre.
The U.S. Coast Guard located the boat, unoccupied, near West Sister Island.
Gerrie was arrested and charged on two counts of child endangerment.
She is being held in the Lucas County Jail, where she is being held on a $50,000 bond.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact investigators. Armstrong also urged the public to give the family space as the investigation continues.
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