Five die in Ohio river trying to rescue a struggling swimmer

Five people died in the Scioto River in Ohio after a chain of rescue attempts on July 20, 2026. The group had been fishing near Powell when one swimmer got into trouble; others entered the water to help and were overwhelmed by the strong current, which was flowing at about 10 m³/s — more than four times the level three days earlier Source: infobae. A child alerted a passing motorist, who called 911 Source: heraldomx. Two women were pulled from the water and died at a hospital; three men were recovered the next day Source: infobae. Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer noted that such tragedies occur when untrained rescuers attempt to help Source: heraldomx. The victims included two couples and the initial swimmer; two children were placed in state custody Source: infobae.