Cleveland, OH
Body of pilot recovered from helicopter crash at Mogadore Reservoir in Portage County
SUFFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Multiple police and civilian agencies responded to a deadly helicopter crash at the Mogadore Reservoir in Portage County Friday morning.
Authorities updated the press at noon with additional details:
Authorities provide new details on Portage County helicopter crash
Suffield Township Fire Chief Bob Rasnick said his department was notified about the crash at 7:11 a.m.
The fire department contacted the Portage County Water Rescue Team, Hazmat crews, the Portage County Emergency Management Agency, the sheriff’s office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Rasnick called the situation a “recovery mission” at this point.
“We have recovered one body. We’re looking to make absolutely sure there’s not anyone else in the area,” Rasnick said.
During a noon update, Rasnick said the body was that of the pilot, 52-year-old Anthony Jones, of North Royalton. He was flying out of Medina. First responders do not believe anyone else was aboard.
The helicopter was found 22 feet under water. Recovery of the helicopter will take several days.
According to the FAA, the aircraft was a Schweizer 269C helicopter.
Watch Chief Rasnick’s update to the press Friday morning:
Body recovered following helicopter crash into Mogadore Reservoir
Rasnick said witnesses in a boat saw the helicopter fly into an Ohio Edison high-tension wire and crash into the water.
The reservoir is not a drinking water supply, so there is no concern about drinking water contamination. It was initially used to help cool the factories in Akron, and it is currently used for recreation.
“We conducted a dive rescue operation … There was some leakage from the helicopter, so the Hazmat team —the EPA is here as well — we have isolated and boomed the area to protect the water in this area so there’s no danger of it running off and killing wildlife,” Rasnick said. “We’ve mitigated that situation as well.”
Local authorities are waiting on the NTSB and the FAA to arrive. The scene will be turned over to those federal agencies.
The Water Rescue Team has a device that scans under the water, Rasnick said, and it detected something and is working to ensure it’s not someone else.
“We don’t believe that it is,” he said. “Not sure; we are going to make sure.”
Ohio Edison also responded to the scene to remove the top static wire, which doesn’t carry power. That line fell on other power wires but has been safely taken care of. Ohio Edison crews are doing additional grounding work on nearby towers to ensure everything in the area is safe, Rasnick said.
Cavs center Thomas Bryant thought he had the rookie, until he didn’t.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Thomas Bryant learned the hard way that karma moves quicker than Donovan Mitchell in transition.
Bryant was on the wrong side of a replay after backing down Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel for a hook shot.
The journeyman center couldn’t resist an over-the-top celebration … so Bryant flexed his way downcourt, hitting the “too small” gesture at the 20-year-old. Then, gravity struck. Hard.
CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 22: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the basket as Thomas Bryant #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays defense during the game on December 22, 2025 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bryant tripped over thin air, barrel-rolling across the hardwood as he ran back on defense. The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd went from cheers to raspberries … with the tumbling Bryant looking very small on the floor.
WATCH:
There’s no question Bryant wishes he were riding the same high that Kon has all season.
The rook is leading the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. While Bryant celebrated his layup against a smaller defender, Knueppel celebrated his 100th made three-point shot in just 29 games.
Social media roasted the big man for celebrating too early. “Ball don’t lie is undefeated. Don’t disrespect the opponent when you’re ‘Thomas Bryant,’” one fan posted on X.
The 6-foot-10 vet, who inked a deal with Cleveland this offseason to add some interior muscle, is not expected to do much from the limited scorer.
Go for the fist pump next time, pal.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
What: Charlotte Hornets (9-19) (3-11 away) at Cleveland Cavaliers (15-14) (9-8 home)
When: 7:00pm Eastern
Where: Rocket Arena; Cleveland, OH
How to watch: Peacock, FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass
Outfitting: Hornets–Statement (purple), Cavaliers–City (orange)
Game Lines: Hornets +9.5, Hornets money line +310, O/U 238.5
Injuries:
Hornets: LaMelo Ball-probable (wrist), Ryan Kalkbrenner-questionable (elbow), Collin Sexton-doubtful (quad), Grant Williams-out (knee)
Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell-probable (illness), Craig Porter Jr.-probable (illness), Sam Merrill-probable (hand), Evan Mobley-out (calf), Larry Nance Jr-out (calf), Max Strus-out (foot)
The Hornets are finally getting healthier (for now). LaMelo Ball clearly tweaked his wrist getting knocked over during a brutally physical game against the Pistons, but he seems to be no worse for the wear. Kalkbrenner apparently took a knock too, but he could still gut it out. Sexton probably isn’t playing, but the fact that he’s gone from out to doubtful means that he’s close. That leaves Grant Williams as the only remaining injured Hornet as he works back from the torn ACL he suffered last year. Knock on wood.
They should be feeling good about their chances tonight. They may have gotten drubbed by the Pistons, but they will remember that they beat this very seem Cavs team in this very same arena just eight days ago. Kon Knueppel led the way with 29 points while Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges chipped in decent games as well. And LaMelo didn’t even play. He’s only going to add to the offensive firepower.
The Cavs, meanwhile, played two games against the Bulls between that last meeting and now, and they lost them both by double digits. Both games followed roughly the same pattern. The Cavs were able to score just fine, but they had no answer for a Bulls offense that’s pretty mediocre. A Hornets team with LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel should have no problem scoring points. They’ll just need to keep Donovan Mitchell reasonably in check, and they have a chance to take another game in Cleveland.
Related
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (15-14) vs Charlotte Hornets (9-19)
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Monday, Dec. 22 at 7:00 pm EST
TV: Peacock, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports App
Point spread: Not yet set
Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell – PROBABLE (illness), Sam Merrill – PROBABLE (hand), Craig Porter Jr. – PROBABLE (illness), Evan Mobley – OUT (calf), Larry Nance Jr. – OUT (calf), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Hornets injury report: LaMelo Ball – PROBABLE (WRIST), Ryan Kalkbrenner – QUESTIONABLE (elbow), Liam McNeeley – OUT (G League), Drew Peterson – OUT (G League), Antonio Reeves – OUT (G League), Collin Sexton – DOUBTFUL (quad), Grant Williams – OUT (knee)
Cavs expected starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen
Hornets expected starting lineup: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Kneuppel, Miles Bridges, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Previous matchup: The Cavs lost in overtime to the Hornets on Dec. 14.
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