5 drown in Ohio swollen river after swimmer starts struggling

Five people died on Sunday as a group attempted to aid a struggling swimmer in an Ohio river. A group of parents and children had gathered at the Scioto River near the Columbus suburb of Powell in central Ohio on Sunday afternoon to go swimming and fishing. However, the river was running high, with a current at more than double the usual speed. A member of the group started swimming, but began to struggle, Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said at a Monday news conference. A nearby motorist called 911 after spotting a frightened child running along the road looking for help, saying that his family was in the river, Balzer told reporters.

Authorities arrived on scene and pulled two women from the river, who were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Officials found the bodies of three men along the river later on Monday. Investigators believe one of the five was the original struggling swimmer. The deaths came just two days after five hikers were killed in southern Utah, where a flash flood swept through red rock canyons.