Authorities and his nonprofit organization have identified the 70-year-old man who was found dead last week in Lake Erie as Dave VanZandt. VanZandt was an underwater explorer who went missing while diving to a recently-discovered shipwreck.
VanZandt founded Cleveland Underwater Explorers, an organization dedicated to the study and documentation of shipwrecks and sunken artifacts in the Great Lakes. The team of researchers, archaeologists, and divers at Cleveland Underwater Explorers primarily focuses on Lake Erie. The organization is based in the southern shore area of Lake Erie, as stated on its website.
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According to Cleveland Underwater Explorers, although VanZandt is listed as “semi-retired” in his employee biography, he remained involved in some of their projects. Sadly, on Saturday, during his first trip of the year, he encountered a tragic diving accident while exploring a newly discovered shipwreck. The organization and the authorities have not provided specific details about the incident that led to his untimely death.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife and family,” expressed the nonprofit in a compassionate Facebook post.
The United States Coast Guard confirmed the disappearance of a 70-year-old man in Lake Erie on Saturday afternoon. At around 4 p.m. ET, the agency announced that they were searching for a recreational diver who went missing approximately 6 miles off the coast of Cleveland. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and an Erie County dive team later joined the search efforts. However, it was the local divers from Lake County who eventually discovered VanZandt.
The USCG Great Lakes announced on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday evening that a body was recovered by divers from Lake County at 7:45 local time. They have confirmed that the body belongs to the missing man.
According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, the body of VanZandt from Lakewood was found in the water near Cleveland’s East 9th Street pier. The medical examiner’s office confirmed the identification, as reported by the Fox affiliate WJW. CBS News reached out to the medical examiner’s office for further details but has not yet received a response.
