NORTH HARMONY, NY — The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a possible body located along the shoreline near the Stow Ferry in the Town of North Harmony on May 23, 2026, at approximately 8:45 a.m.
Deputies investigated the incident with assistance from the Chautauqua County Coroner’s Office and the Lakewood-Busti Police Department.
The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office has positively identified the individual as Daniel “Scott” Emmerson, 64, of Lakewood.
Emmerson had previously been reported missing to the Lakewood-Busti Police Department on March 5, 2026.
The investigation determined that Emmerson drove his Ford F-150 pickup truck onto Chautauqua Lake on March 4, 2026, traveling north on the ice before the vehicle broke through near the I-86 bridge.
The truck was later located by dive teams on March 16, 2026, and recovered from the lake on March 20, 2026.
