5 Die Trying to Rescue Drowning Family Member in Ohio River Tragedy

A family outing along an Ohio river turned into an unimaginable tragedy after five adults died while trying to save a struggling swimmer, authorities said.

The heartbreaking chain of events unfolded Sunday evening near the Scioto River in Powell, just north of Columbus, where a group had reportedly been fishing before one person entered the water to swim.

According to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer, the first sign that something had gone terribly wrong came when a passing motorist spotted a “clearly distraught” child running along a state highway near the river.

“The child said that his family was in the river,” Balzer said during a Monday press briefing.

The driver immediately called 911, setting off a desperate search and rescue effort along the Scioto River.

When first responders arrived, they pulled two women from the water. Both were rushed to nearby hospitals, but neither survived.

Authorities then continued searching for three men who were also believed to have gone into the river. Their bodies were recovered Monday, according to Delaware County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tracy Whited.

Investigators believe the tragedy began when one adult went into the river to swim and began struggling in the water. Two others jumped in to help, but they also started having trouble. Then two more people entered the water in an attempt to save them.

“That’s when the tragedy started to occur,” Balzer said.

Officials believe two sets of parents were among the five people who died. One of the victims is believed to have been the original swimmer who first began struggling, Whited said, though the incident remains under investigation.

The names of the five victims have not yet been released as authorities work to notify their next of kin.

Two children under the age of 10 who had been with the group were placed in the care of family services, Balzer said.

The devastating incident left officials describing what began as a peaceful evening by the water as a tragedy that quickly spiraled into the loss of five lives.