Boaters cautioned against operating while intoxicated

Two bodies found decomposing in condo

Authorities are trying to figure out what happened to two people whose decomposing bodies were found in a northern Ohio condo over the weekend.

Local and state officials are investigating after the bodies were found Saturday at a unit at Beachwood Villas in the Lake Erie town of Huron, just east of Sandusky.

Sheriff’s deputies went inside after a mail carrier tipped off the homeowner’s association that the mail had been piling up at the unit.

Foul play hasn’t been ruled out. No weapons were found at the scene.

The bodies are believed to be those of the condo’s residents and may have been decomposing for several weeks. The coroner’s office is expected to perform autopsies.

Neighbors described the complex as peaceful and quiet.

The Coast Guard is warning boaters of the dangers of operating vessels while under the influence of alcohol.

The Coast Guard said its recreational boating statistics show alcohol use was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents last year. The Coast Guard said alcohol use contributed to 16 percent of deaths on the water in 2013.

Operators under the influence can be arrested and subject to federal and state penalties that can include fines and suspension or revocation of operator privileges. Operators also can go to jail.

Coast Guard accident data show that more than half of the victims in boating deaths involving alcohol use either capsized their boat or fell overboard.