Five people died in the Scioto River near Powell, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday, July 20, 2026, after several individuals entered the water to assist a struggling swimmer, authorities reported.
Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said at a Monday news conference that the incident began when one person went swimming and began struggling. Others jumped in to help, but they too encountered difficulties. A motorist who saw a frightened child running on a nearby road called 911.
Rescue crews found two women in the water on Sunday; both were pronounced dead at a hospital. The bodies of three men were recovered from the river on Monday, according to Tracy Whited, a spokesperson for the Delaware County sheriff’s department.
Two children under the age of 10, including the child who ran for help, were placed in the care of family services.
Sheriff Balzer remarked, “And that’s when the tragedy started to occur,” referring to the moment others who jumped in to help began struggling.
This tragedy occurred just two days after five members of a family were killed in southern Utah when a flash flood swept through canyons during a hiking trip.
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