Angelique Cunningham was just 11 years old when she vanished from a recreational boat on Lake Erie mere minutes after it departed from Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township, Ohio. Three days later, searchers found her remains near the shoreline by the same marina—the same vicinity where authorities had earlier recovered another body floating in the water.
Background
The nightmare began late Wednesday evening when Angelique, 41-year-old Kristen Gerrie, and 38-year-old Jonathan Ciha departed from Meinke Marina aboard a recreational vessel. Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre told Toledo ABC affiliate WTVG that the child was no longer on the boat less than 15 minutes after departure.
Family members identified Gerrie as Angelique's neighbor and caretaker—a trusted adult in the young girl's life who had apparently invited her on an evening boat ride.
The timeline of events grew increasingly tragic as hours passed. Dispatchers first received a call around 1:30 a.m. Thursday from a woman claiming she had swum to shore from a boat, The Toledo Blade reported. That woman was later identified as Gerrie.
About nine hours later, emergency crews responded to a distress call near the Toledo water intake crib, where they recovered Ciha's body floating in the water near Meinke Marina. Crews later found the boat empty near West Sister Island, according to CBS affiliate WTOL.
As search teams combed the western basin of Lake Erie, officials announced Friday they had exhausted all available resources and transitioned from a rescue mission to a recovery effort—the grim shift that occurs when hope fades for finding someone alive.
The Investigation
On Sunday morning, nearly five days after Angelique vanished, searchers found her remains near the shoreline by Meinke Marina in what authorities described as 'the same vicinity' where Ciha's body had been recovered. An autopsy performed that day confirmed her death was consistent with drowning.
The Lucas County Coroner's Office ruled that Ciha also drowned, though the circumstances and manner of his death remain under investigation alongside Angelique's case.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed what happened aboard the boat in those critical minutes before the child disappeared. What they have confirmed is that Angelique was in Gerrie's care when she vanished—a detail central to the criminal charges now filed against the neighbor.
Key Takeaways
- Angelique Cunningham, 11, disappeared from a boat on Lake Erie less than 15 minutes after departure from Meinke Marina in Jerusalem Township, Ohio
- Her remains were recovered Sunday near the marina shoreline—the same area where Jonathan Ciha's body was found
- Autopsies confirmed both deaths consistent with drowning; circumstances remain under investigation
- Kristen Gerrie, 41, has been charged with one count of child endangerment for allegedly placing the child in danger while she was in her care
- Gerrie was released after posting a $50,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear for arraignment
- The boat was found empty near West Sister Island; Ciha was the third person on board that evening