Five people drowned in an Ohio river on Sunday after multiple members of a group attempted to rescue a struggling swimmer, an emergency that was discovered after a passing motorist spotted a distressed 10-year-old child running on a nearby road.
According to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer, the child’s presence on the road prompted a 911 call from the motorist, alerting law enforcement to the unfolding tragedy along the Scioto River in Powell, a suburb of Columbus, the Associated Press reported.
The incident began when one member of the group entered the water to swim and quickly began to experience distress. Several other individuals then entered the river in an effort to assist, but they also began to struggle in the water, Balzer said during a Monday news conference.
A search and rescue operation was launched Sunday, during which crews recovered two women from the water. Both were transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead, Balzer said.
The search continued into the following day. Tracy Whited, a spokesperson for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, confirmed that the bodies of three men were recovered from the river on Monday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
