STOW – A North Harmony man died Thursday morning after the car he was driving went into Chautauqua Lake at Stow. Investigators from the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office say the incident took place at the end of Stow Ferry Rd, at the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry Launch.
The sheriff’s dispatch received a call at 5:43 a.m. Thursday morning that a vehicle had driven into the lake. Upon arrival, the vehicle was located about 40 feet beyond the Ferry, and submerged in about 4 feet of water. The driver – 64 year-old Mark Swanson of Stow – was removed from the vehicle and taken to WCA Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Investigators say it appears Swanson was eastbound on Stow Ferry Rd., when he drove through a barrier, onto the Ferry, and into the lake. They also believe Swanson may have suffered from a medical condition, prior to the accident.
The Ashville and Bemus Point Fire Departments and the county’s water emergency team also responded at the scene. The accident remains under investigation.
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