Two young children have been orphaned following a drowning incident that claimed the lives of five adults in Ohio's Scioto River. Jose Mario Pineda Dias, 33, and Marina Suyapa Regalado, 28, both Honduran citizens, were among the deceased.
The couple's two children, aged eight and ten, were present at the scene but survived the incident. They are currently in the care of Ohio family services pending reunification with relatives in Central America.
The tragedy occurred on Sunday when the group, which included three other adults, was fishing in the river near Powell. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey indicates that the river was flowing at a rate of 350 cubic feet per second, more than double its average flow rate.
According to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer, one of the adults began to struggle in the water, prompting others to enter the river to assist. This led to all five adults being swept away. The bodies of the two women were recovered on Sunday, and the three men's bodies were found on Monday.
Honduran authorities confirmed on Tuesday that four of the five victims were Honduran nationals: Dias, Regalado, and another married couple whose names have not been released. The identity of the fifth adult is still pending.
Flabia Zamora, director of consular affairs at the Honduran Foreign Ministry, stated that the ministry is collaborating with U.S. authorities for the repatriation process, which is expected to take at least a month after all victims are identified.
One of the children reportedly fled the riverbank in distress, approaching a passing driver who then called 911. The driver described hearing the child crying, "Mama! Mama!" and expressing concern the child was heading towards a busy road.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established by a relative to cover funeral and transportation costs, as well as childcare expenses for the two orphaned children.
The area where the incident occurred was experiencing pleasant weather after a period of heat, but the river's conditions were dangerous due to high and fast currents. 
