56-year-old Ohio angler dies on Hoover Reservoir after boat capsizes

Galena, Ohio — One man died and another was hospitalized after their boat capsized on the evening of March 17 on Hoover Reservoir in Central Ohio.

The angler who died was identified as 56-year-old Paul Parks, according to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.

According to an account of the incident in The Columbus Dispatch, the men were out fishing around 8 p.m. Sunday, March 17, on the reservoir when the boat capsized, according to Genoa Township officials in Delaware County.

Fire crews responding to the scene were able to pull both men from the water. Both were taken to Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital. One of the men was in critical condition upon arrival at the hospital and the other’s condition was described as “fair,” officials said.

Investigators determined that the boat the two men were fishing aboard capsized. High winds buffeted the lake on the day of the incident.

According to WBNS TV, quoting an area fire chief, both of the men were wearing life jackets. Genoa Township Fire Chief Joe Ponzi told the news station that water temperature likely played a role in the victims’ condition. He said water temperature was right around 48 degrees.

“I used to say ‘wear your life jacket, wear your life jacket.’ These guys had their life jackets on, but the weather condition and the water conditions turned out to be very unfortunate for one of the gentlemen,” Ponzi told WBNS. “It doesn’t take long to be exposed to that temperature to become hypothermic. It rapidly lowers your core temperature and you become unresponsive, you’re not able to swim anymore.”

In online reports, Parks was described as a fisherman who loved to fish for catfish. Hoover Reservoir is well known for its population of blue catfish, which are stocked annually by the ODNR Division of Wildlife and grow to great sizes.

The Ohio DNR is investigating the incident.

Hoover Reservoir, located off of Sunbury Road near Westerville, encompasses more than 4,000 acres, including a lake that is frequently used for boating and fishing, the newspaper account said.

The park also includes options for picnics, bird watching, a disc golf course, and hiking. The park spans both Delaware and Franklin counties.