Anthony "Andy" Jones was supposed to say goodbye to his wife of 30 years during funeral services Friday night, a week after she died.

Instead, the helicopter he was flying that morning struck an electrical line and crashed into the Mogadore Reservoir in Portage County. His body was recovered in the water a couple hours later. 

The helicopter, a Schweizer 269C, crashed into the Mogadore Reservoir near state Route 43 in Suffield Township at about 7 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Only the pilot was on board the helicopter at the time of the crash.

Suffield Township Fire Chief Bob Rasnick confirmed the pilot, Jones, 52, of North Royalton, died and was recovered from the water. 

The OHSP said they are leading with investigation with the assistance of the National Transportation Safety Board.

OSHP said the helicopter remains in the water and that it could take up to a week before the aircraft is removed. Lt. Craig Peeps of Portage County Hazmat said the helicopter company and its insurance need to coordinate to pull it out of the reservoir.

OHSP said they don't know the purpose of the flight at this time. Based on preliminary investigation, it took off from Medina, stopped to refuel and took off again before the crash.

The agency added that the helicopter broke one wire before hitting the water and that the wire was not carrying a current. No surrounding homes lost power from the crash. Ohio Edison has since secured the wire.

Pilot dies days after wife

Jones' wife, Amy, died March 6 of unreported causes, according to her obituary.

The 56-year-old Kentucky native is survived by her three daughters, parents, one brother and sisters-in-law, her obituary read.

"Amy and Andy were lifelong sweethearts who enjoyed a whirlwind romance falling madly in love after being introduced by Amy's future mother-in-law, co-worker, and dear friend, Doris Jones," the obituary read. "They were profoundly blessed to have that love grow for three decades."

The couple married in March 1996.

A visitation for Amy was scheduled for 5-7 p.m. with a service beginning at 7 p.m. at Babitt-Busch Funeral home, 9350 Ridge Road in North Royalton.

Witnesses describe helicopter crash in Portage County

The first call reporting the crash came in at 7:11 a.m. A team of divers started their search at 9:29 a.m., located the helicopter at 9:33 a.m. and recovered Jones at 9:35 a.m.

Because the helicopter was too far from shore, a dive platform was made to conduct the search, said Commander Scott Simmons of Portage County Water Rescue.  

Bob Lee was drinking coffee Friday morning when at around 7:15 he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye.

Then he heard a boom, followed by his dogs barking. Minutes later, he heard sirens.

Outside his home, Lee saw a single power line hanging off a tower.

“We still have power,” Lee said hours after the crash. “It’s just sad.”

John Tompkins also heard a bang at the same time. He only later learned it was a helicopter crash.

“We see helicopters flying around her all the time,” Tompkins said. “There’s a blue and white that comes around every week to inspect the power lines.”

Will the spill affect Akron's drinking water?

EPA put boom in the water to contain the spill and protect local wildlife and confirmed the reservoir was not drinking water for the city of Akron, but rather for nature preservation.

EPA will be in charge of cleanup.

A transmission tower is seen in Portage County. A helicopter crashed into the Mogadore Reservoir near State Highway 43 in Suffield Township on Friday, March 14, 2025 after it hit power lines.
Road closures near Mogadore Reservoir
Sunnybrook Road between Martin Road and Saxe Road was closed following the crash, and motorists were advised to avoid the area, the Portage County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.

As of 12:20 p.m., OHSP said there was still no timeline on when roads would reopen.

Multiple agencies, including the sheriff's office, OHSP and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency responded to the scene.