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Search Called Off For Man Who Jumped In To Rescue Boy

BERLIN TOWNSHIP (WWJ/AP) - Authorities have suspended their search in western Lake Erie for a 36-year-old Waterford Township man who disappeared after jumping into the water to save an 8-year-old boy.

Monroe County Sheriff Dale Malone said a 28-year-old woman called 911 about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, saying her boyfriend and son were in the water off Estral Beach.  That's in Berlin Township, about 30 miles northeast of Toledo.

Malone said the Oakland County couple, with two boys ages 3 and 8, were on an unanchored boat. The boy was wearing a life jacket when he jumped into the water, but he couldn't return to the drifting boat.

A passing boat rescued the boy, but the man — who was not wearing a life jacket — went under water and never surfaced.

The Coast Guard combed the waters all day Thursday, while an aircraft surveyed the scene from above. A boat was also dispatched to assist.

Authorities said the lake ranges from 5 feet to 9 feet deep where the man disappeared, and the water temperature was between 70 and 72 degrees.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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