Five people, including two sets of parents, drowned in the Scioto River in Ohio on Sunday night, leaving two young children orphaned. Police audio captured rescuers' frantic efforts during the search.
A passing motorist discovered a 5-year-old boy walking alone on a road near the Scioto River in Powell, a suburb of Columbus, and called 911. The child told the motorist his family was in the river, according to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer.
The incident began when one adult in a group went into the water to swim and began struggling. Two other adults entered the river in an attempt to rescue the struggling individual, and when they also began to struggle, two more adults entered the water, Balzer stated.
None of the five adults were able to return to shore. Responding deputies found the two children, a boy and a girl, at the scene.
"The bodies are in there. There are two young juveniles [on shore]– a young male and a young female. They don’t have any parents," an officer can be heard saying in dispatch audio.
Communication with the children, both under the age of 10, was initially difficult due to a language barrier, according to the sheriff. Responders requested a Spanish speaker to assist.
"We had two victims in the raft at this time, we’re trying to resuscitate," a rescuer said over the radio. Two women were pulled from the water and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. As the search continued, more clothing and shoes belonging to the victims were discovered.
Three men were recovered from the river on Monday afternoon, bringing the total number of deceased to five. Officials confirmed that the victims included two sets of parents.
The two surviving children were placed in the care of family services. Sheriff Balzer noted that protocols are in place in Delaware County to provide support and counseling for those affected.
Authorities are withholding the victims' identities until all families have been notified. The circumstances surrounding the drownings are under investigation. Alcohol's role in the tragedy has not been determined.
The Scioto River was flowing at an unusually high rate of 350 cubic feet per second on Sunday, more than double its average flow, according to data from a nearby U.S. Geological Survey gauge. Sheriff Balzer advised individuals to be aware of their swimming abilities and to take proper safety precautions when entering the water.