An 86-year-old grandfather has died. He passed away at the lake in Ohio where he liked to feed the birds. It's a sad passing for the elderly man.
In a Facebook post, the Lakemore Fire Department confirmed that they found the grandfather floating in the lake on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Springfield Lake. Lakemore Police and the South Summit Dive Team "quickly determined that operations would shift from rescue to recovery."
"The Summit County Medical Examiner responded to the scene and took jurisdiction of the body," Lakemore Fire said in their statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim."
The medical examiner's office confirmed that Theodore Balko was the 86-year-old who passed away, according to Fox affiliate WJW-TV. According to the Summit County Medical Examiner, the grandfather's death appeared to be accidental in nature.
Grandfather Drowns
Meanwhile, Lakemore Police Sgt. Rich Morrison says that police ruled Balko's death a drowning. But they presented the possibility that the 86-year-old suffered a medical emergency and that he fell into the lake that way. "It looks like he was [walking near] the edge of the water," Morrison said. "There was nothing suspicious; this was an unfortunate event."
It read, "Theodore Balko, age 86, passed away on February 19, 2025. Born in Akron, he lived in Lakemore, Ohio. Theodore graduated from Ellet High School and served in the Air Force. He worked for Goodyear Aerospace for 38 years. He enjoyed fishing."
It continued, "Theodore was preceded in death by his wife, Roberta; and his daughter, Jennifer. He is survived by his son, John; grandchildren, Jennifer, Nicole, Saydee, and Michael; and his sisters, Nancy Balko Fawcett and Irene Branson."
Meanwhile, one of his neighbors mourned the grandfather on the site. They wrote, "I am Ted's neighbor..He didn't come out much..Im sorry I didn't get to know him. I'm sorry for your loss. Also for Heron Pts loss as well!!"
