Body found of Medina fisherman missing in Lake Erie

Authorities have recovered the body of missing Medina fisherman Robin Eckelberry a month after he was reported missing during a boating trip on Lake Erie. According to a statement from Medina's St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, which Eckelberry attended with his family, the fisherman's body was found Saturday near Fairport Harbor, a Lake County village just northwest of Painesville. The family was notified of the discovery Tuesday. Eckelberry, 46, had not been seen since Sept. 1 when he departed in his boat about 4 a.m. from a dock near Edgewater Park in Cleveland. Family members said they had expected him back by 2 p.m. His vessel later was found idling a mile offshore. A large search was coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard, but efforts were suspended soon thereafter with investigators suspecting Eckelberry, who was on the boat by himself, may have fallen overboard. Eckelberry and his wife of 20 years, Karen, had three daughters. Eckelberry was known in the community as a man of deep religious conviction, generosity and unconditional kindness. Friends organized multiple public prayer services that drew large crowds since Eckelberry's disappearance. "We pray for the soul of Robin and ask that you welcome him into paradise where he can watch over and pray for his family and friends until the day we are reunited," wrote friend Jennifer Webb. "We lift up Karen, Hailey, Hannah and Holly, who will forever miss their husband and father. Help them to endure this painful separation as they adjust to a new reality. Jesus, may this trial draw them closer to your sacred heart, and let them lean on you all the days ahead." Funeral arrangements are still being finalized, Webb said. Friends of the Eckelberry family have created a fund to support Eckelberrry's wife and three daughters. To donate, stop at any Key Bank in Northeast Ohio and mark contributions to the attention of the Robin Eckelberry Fund. Donations also can be made by mail to Key Bank at 1090 N. Court St., Medina, OH 44256, care of the Robin Eckelberry Fund. Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.