Five Die in Ohio River Drowning After Rescue Attempt
Quick Look
- Five people died in Ohio's Scioto River near Powell after several individuals went into the water to help another person struggling to swim.
- Two women were found deceased Sunday, and three men were recovered Monday, with two children placed in family services.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
A group gathered along the Scioto River in Powell, Ohio, on Sunday, leading to a tragic incident where multiple individuals drowned while attempting to help a struggling swimmer. Authorities were alerted by a child who ran for help.
POWELL, Ohio -- Five people have died on a river in Ohio after several of them went into the water to help another person who was struggling to swim, authorities said Monday.
A motorist called 911 after spotting a frightened child who had been with the group and was running on a nearby road, Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said at a news conference Monday.
Two children under age 10 have been placed in the care of family services, the sheriff said, including the child who ran for help.
The group had gathered Sunday along the Scioto River in the Columbus suburb of Powell when one of them went into the river to go swimming. “And that’s when the tragedy started to occur,” Balzer said, as the others who jumped in to help also began struggling.
Rescue crews searching the water on Sunday found two women, who were pronounced dead at a hospital, Balzer said. The bodies of three men were found in the river on Monday, said Tracy Whited, a spokesperson for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department.
Open Questions
- What were the identities of the deceased?
- What specific circumstances led to multiple people struggling in the water?
