5 dead after attempt to help struggling swimmer in Ohio river turns into ‘tragedy’: Sheriff

Five people died after several adults entered a river in Ohio to help a struggling swimmer, authorities said.

Search and rescue efforts began Sunday night, when a motorist noticed a “visibly distraught” child running along a state highway near the Scioto River, according to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer.

“The child said his family was in the river,” Balzer said during a news conference on Monday.

The driver called 911, and first responders pulled two women from the river, Balzer said. He added that they were taken to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.

Authorities continued to search for three men believed to have also been in the water, and their bodies were recovered Monday, according to Delaware County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tracy White.

The group is believed to have been fishing Sunday evening in the Scioto River in Powell, north of Columbus, when one of the adults went swimming, according to Balzer.

“Then the tragedy started to happen,” he said.

When the person began to struggle in the water, two others went to try to save him, but they began to struggle as well, Balzer said. He added that two others then went into the water to help.

Balzer said he believes two sets of parents are among the group of five. One of the deceased is believed to be the person who was initially struggling in the river, according to Whited, who indicated that the incident is still under investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office said no additional information about the five victims, including their names, will be released at this time pending notification of next of kin.

Two children under the age of 10 who were with the group were placed in the care of family services, according to Balzer.