Five people are dead after an incident in the Scioto River near Powell, Ohio, that began Sunday when several individuals entered the water to help a struggling swimmer, according to the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities recovered the bodies over a two-day search operation that concluded Monday.
The response was initiated after a motorist placed a 911 call on Sunday upon seeing a child from the group running on a nearby road, Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said during a news conference on Monday.
According to Balzer, a group had gathered along the river when one person entered the water to swim. “And that’s when the tragedy started to occur,” Balzer stated, explaining that others went in to provide assistance and also encountered difficulty.
Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene on Sunday. They located two women in the water who were transported to a hospital and pronounced dead, Balzer said.
The search continued into Monday, when the bodies of three men were recovered from the river, according to Tracy Whited, a spokesperson for the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff Balzer also confirmed that two children under the age of 10 had been with the group. Both have since been placed in the care of family services. One of the children was the individual who was spotted by the motorist who alerted authorities.
The incident occurred along a section of the river in Powell, a suburb of Columbus. Officials have not released the names of the deceased pending notification of next of kin. An investigation into the circumstances of the drownings is ongoing.
