Douglas Harper drowned in Lake Erie off the resort town in July 1958, after parachuting into the lake from an aircraft 3,500 above it.
Harper was president of the Geneva Chapter of the Parachute Club of America and routinely made the jump into the lake.
His fatal jump was about two miles from the GOTL shoreline. The jump was near perfect and Harper signaled to the pilot that all was well after he splashed down in the lake. A club boat, about 3/4 mile away from Harper, headed over to pluck him from the water. But when the boat arrived, Harper was no where to be found.
The Coast Guard was called in and searched for a body. It was discovered five days later by two young boys who were in a boat.
Source:
Koile, Wendy, “Geneva on the Lake,” The History Press