The bodies of a 4-year-old boy and his father have been recovered from Atwood Lake after investigators say the family’s mother intentionally drove a golf cart carrying three of her other children into the water Saturday morning.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis L. Campbell said deputies, Atwood Rangers, fire departments, and dive teams resumed searching at about 7 a.m. Sunday after efforts were halted overnight. Two pieces of information gathered late Saturday and early Sunday led investigators to focus their search near the same boat dock where the child’s body was discovered Saturday evening.
At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, divers located the body of a white male believed to be the missing 45-year-old father about 50 yards from the dock in an area known as the causeway. The coroner’s office was called to the scene, and the body was turned over to their custody.
The names of the deceased will be released by the Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office once all family members have been notified, though authorities said they are confident the victims are the 4-year-old son and the father. Campbell called the incident an unusual tragedy.
The incident began around 10:39 a.m. Saturday when the mother allegedly drove a golf cart into Atwood Lake near Atwood Marina West with her 15-year-old daughter and twin 18-year-old sons aboard. All three children escaped safely.
Campbell said the mother, who lives with her family in Holmes County, made “concerning statements about conversing with God” after the crash, leading investigators to conclude the act was intentional.
The woman was hospitalized for mental health concerns, and the surviving children were released to relatives. Sheriff’s detectives are now executing a search warrant as part of the ongoing investigation.
Multiple agencies assisted in the search, including the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, Atwood Rangers, and numerous fire departments and law enforcement agencies from surrounding counties.
A press conference is planned for Monday afternoon at the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office. An exact time will be announced later.
