Five Dead After Rescue Attempt in Ohio River

Five people died after a rescue attempt on the Scioto River near Powell, Ohio, officials said Monday. A motorist reported a child running on a nearby road after seeing a person in distress in the water, prompting a 911 call, Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer told reporters.

The incident began on Sunday when a member of a group entered the river to swim and subsequently began to struggle. Others who entered the water to help also encountered difficulty, Balzer said.

Search teams recovered two women’s bodies, who were later pronounced dead at a hospital, and the bodies of three men were retrieved on Monday, according to Tracy Whited, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department.

Two children under age 10, including the child who ran for help, have been placed under the care of family services.