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COLUMBUS, OH — Five people who went on a fishing trip at a river in Ohio have died after several of them entered the water to help a person who was struggling to swim in the water, authorities said July 20.
The victims were part of a group that had gathered at the Scioto River on July 19 to "enjoy themselves on a summer night," including doing some fishing, according to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer. Investigators believe one person entered the water to swim but began struggling, the sheriff said.
Two others went into the river to help, and they also "started to struggle in the river," Balzer added. Two more people then entered the water in an apparent rescue attempt.
"That's when the tragedy started to occur," Balzer said during a news conference on July 20. "Up to five people possibly went in the river."
A motorist called 911 shortly after 9 p.m. local time July 19 after spotting a distraught child running along State Route 257 near the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir, according to the sheriff. The child told the driver that family members were in the river.
First responders rushed to the scene and pulled two women from the water, Balzer said. They were transported to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. Recovery crews resumed searching July 20 and later found the bodies of three men.
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio. The O'Shaughnessy Reservoir area is located in the city of Powell, a suburb of the state capital Columbus.
Children found on shore of Scioto River
Authorities believe the group may have consisted of two sets of parents, two children, and at least one additional person, though investigators were still working to confirm details, according to Balzer. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims pending notification of their families.
The children who were on shore were under 10, and a language barrier made it difficult for authorities to get information from most of them, Balzer said. The two children who were at the scene were now in the care of Delaware County Job and Family Services.
"There was no boat at the scene," the sheriff said at the news conference.
The Delaware County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. Balzer said multiple agencies assisted in the search and recovery effort, including local fire departments, police agencies, Delaware County Emergency Medical Services, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Columbus Division of Police dive team.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources used a boat to scan the river in the area where the missing adults were last seen as divers and other responders searched the water and shoreline, according to Balzer.
Incident follows fatal Utah flash flood
The incident in Ohio came just days after floodwaters racing through a canyon killed five members of a family in southern Utah, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. The family arrived July 17 at the Sunglow Campground area near Bicknell, a small town along State Route 24, to go hiking and canyoneering.
"It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains," the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Deputies discovered a body in a wash near the campground at around 5 p.m. local time July 17, the office confirmed. Authorities started a search and rescue operation and recovered the bodies of the other family members in the following days.
The sheriff’s office did not identify the victims, but the Provo Fire Department confirmed in a social media post that a fire captain, Spencer Long, and his family members were killed.
"We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family," the fire department said July 18. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Attempt to save struggling swimmer leaves 5 dead in Ohio river
