Body of Jacob Zorn recovered in Susquehanna River
PORT DEPOSIT, MD. —Maryland Natural Resource Police officers recovered the body of a Port Deposit man on May 29, 2015 who went missing on May 26th after strong winds capsized a canoe and tossed him and a fishing partner into the Susquehanna River.
Police identified Jacob Nicholas Zorn, 22, as the man who was found near Marina Park in Port Deposit. His body was taken to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore for an autopsy. Zorn had been identified with the last name of Nolan in press releases. Zorn’s Facebook page shows his last name was “Zorn”. He went to Perryville High School and lived in Colora, Md.
Zorn was a passenger in a 16-foot canoe owned by Matthew Flowers Trainor, 22, also of Port Deposit. The two men were fishing after dark near Lee’s Landing in Port Deposit when the accident occurred.
Police say that a small craft advisory had been issued for the region, the canoe had but one paddle and Trainor could not recall how many life jackets were aboard. The Coast Guard regulations specifically require a life-jacket for each person on a boat.
Police say that Trainer related afterwards that both men grabbed for floating items from the canoe, and Trainor said he was able to reach a cooler, which had his cell phone secured to the outside in a plastic bag. He called his wife, who contacted the authorities.
Trainor was rescued at 10:43 p.m. by the Water Witch Volunteer Fire Co. of Port Deposit. The search grew to include units from Maryland Natural Resources Police, the Coast Guard, Maryland State Police aviation, Susquehanna Hose Co., Darlington Volunteer Fire Co., and members of the Harford County Technical Rescue Team.
The search resumed at first light on May 27. NRP’s dive team deployed a side-scan sonar unit to assist the search. NRP has been conducting surface searches and dragging the bottom since this incident occurred on May 26.
Water Witch VFC posted this report about the rescue of Trainor on its Facebook page:
Just before 10 PM last night the company along with surrounding water rescue units were alerted for a water rescue between Lee’s Landing and Lapidum Boat Launch.
Rescue Boat 71 was in the water shortly after dispatch with the crew heading north in the Susquehanna River to start the search. Just north of the boat launch the crew noticed a light in the water and headed towards the object. The crew located a male subject holding onto a cooler and pulled him aboard. The patient advised he was in a canoe that had overturned with another male and that he had lost contact with him before our arrival.
As other units arrived they assisted with the water search as well as MSP Trooper 1 assisting from the air and the crew from Rescue 72 searching the shoreline.
The male patient aboard Rescue Boat 71 was taken to land to be evaluated by EMS.
After approximately 3 hours of searching, the Department of Natural Resources Police decided to call off the search until daylight.
Rescue Boat 71 was in the water shortly after dispatch with the crew heading north in the Susquehanna River to start the search. Just north of the boat launch the crew noticed a light in the water and headed towards the object. The crew located a male subject holding onto a cooler and pulled him aboard. The patient advised he was in a canoe that had overturned with another male and that he had lost contact with him before our arrival.
