Watch as dive teams search for bodies along the Scioto River
Multiple emergency agencies searched the Scioto River on July 19 and rescued two people, but at least two more were missing overnight.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five people on an Ohio river fishing trip died after several went into the water to help someone struggling to swim, authorities announced July 20.
Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said the victims were part of a group that gathered on the Scioto River on July 19 to “enjoy a summer night,” including fishing. Investigators believe one person went into the water to swim and began struggling, the sheriff said.
Two others entered the river to help, but they too “started struggling in the river,” Balzer added. Two more people then entered the water, apparently in a rescue operation.
“That’s when the tragedy started to happen. Up to five people may have entered the river,” Balzer said at a July 20 press conference.
According to the sheriff’s office, just after 9 p.m. local time on July 19, a driver called 911 after spotting a distraught child running down State Route 257 near O’Shaughnessy Reservoir. The child told the driver that his family was in the river.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and pulled the two women from the water, Balzer said. They were transported to an area hospital where they were pronounced dead. Recovery teams resumed the search on July 20, and later discovered the bodies of three men.
The Scioto River is a river that flows through south central Ohio. O’Shaughnessy Reservoir Area is located in Powell, a suburb of the state capital, Columbus.
Children found on the banks of the Scioto River
Balzer said authorities believe the group may have consisted of two parents, two children and at least one additional person, but investigators are still confirming details. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s identity pending notification of family members.
Balzer said the children on shore were under the age of 10, and a language barrier made it difficult for authorities to get information from most of them. The two children at the scene are now in the custody of Delaware County Employment and Family Services.
“There were no boats at the scene,” the sheriff said at a news conference.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Balzer said multiple agencies assisted in search and recovery efforts, including local fire departments, police agencies, Delaware County Emergency Medical Services, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Columbus Police Department’s dive team.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources used boats to search the river in the area where the missing adult was last seen, as divers and other response personnel searched the water and shoreline, Balzer said.
Incidents after Utah flash flood deaths
The incident in Ohio comes days after a family of five was killed by floodwaters flowing through a canyon in southern Utah, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. The family arrived July 17 at the Sunglow Campground area on Highway 24 near the small town of Bicknell to go hiking and canyoning.
“The family appears to have been a victim of flooding caused by heavy rain,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Deputies discovered the body at a washing area near a campsite around 5 p.m. local time on July 17, police confirmed. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation and recovered the bodies of other family members several days later.
The sheriff’s office did not identify the victims, but the Provo Fire Department confirmed in a social media post that Fire Chief Spencer Long and his family were killed.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Captain Spencer Long and his family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and co-workers during this difficult time,” the fire department said in a statement on July 18.
