Kayak of Lake Erie kayaker missing since November found in Canada, officials say

AVON LAKE, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio Department of Natural Resources officials confirmed the kayak belonging to the man who went missing on Lake Erie in November was found in Ontario, Canada.

ODNR officials did not give an exact time as to when the kayak was found but said it was found on Dec. 9.

The Ohio Attorney General identified the Lake Erie kayaker missing since Nov. 5 as 30-year-old Evan Zeller of Sheffield Lake.

Zeller still has not been found.

He was described by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as 6′2″ tall, 180 pounds, with black hair, and brown eyes.

ODNR said Zeller was wearing a gray shirt, shorts, and a lime green life vest when he went missing.

Fire departments that worked to find this missing kayaker on Lake Erie suspended their search on Nov. 7, according to the Avon Lake Fire Department (ALFD).

The department said they received a call regarding a man unable to re-board his kayak after falling out on Nov. 5.

The Sheffield Lake Fire Department (SLFD), the Lorain County Water Rescue Team (LCWRT), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and ALFD responded to the situation.

Working from 2 p.m. until dusk, the surface-level resources were removed from the water due to lake conditions and darkness, leaving air support to search.

SLFD, ALFD and the Sheffield Village Fire Department (SVFD) continued the search on Sunday, according to ALFD.

Because of the lake conditions and water temperature the night before, ALFD said the efforts transitioned from rescue to recovery.

Once again, the kayaker was not located, and ALFD said resources were removed at dusk.

Air resources were utilized by the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) and the Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR) used surface-level resources, alongside the efforts of the fire departments.

As of Nov. 7, ALFD said that all fire departments have suspended all search efforts unless other credible information is received.

Zellar is survived by his wife and 5-year-old daughter. His family has planned a Celebration of Life on December 17 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Findlay, OH.

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

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