ELYRIA — Flashlights blinked across the Black River for hours Saturday night as water rescue workers searched for a black man in a brown coat.

Firefighters and police lined the river bank at Cascade Park near Mendel Court and lit the area with floodlights. Men wearing life preservers stalked the edge of the water and camera flashes cut the darkness every few minutes.

By late Saturday, there was still no word from police about the fate of the man.

Melting snow had the river’s water level running high — about two feet above the flooding level by 2 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Although the river was expected to start falling last night, minor flooding could still be a problem through late tonight, forecasters said.

Flooding typically starts in low areas in Carlisle Township south of Elyria. The weather service warned that the water might wash over some roads and drivers should find alternate routes.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---