Five adults drowned in the Scioto River in Ohio after one adult struggled in the water and others went in to help. Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said the sequence ended with all five adults swept under, while two children were left in the care of Ohio authorities.
Jose Mario Pineda Dias was 33 years old, and Marina Suyapa Regalado was 28. Honduran authorities said four of the five adults who drowned were Honduran citizens, and Flabia Zamora said Honduras was working with U.S. authorities to bring the bodies home once the identifications are complete.
Jeffrey Balzer on the river sequence
Balzer said “one of the adults was struggling to swim in the river when several others went into the water to help.” The bodies of the two women were recovered Sunday, and the three men were found Monday. That left one of the five victims still unidentified as repatriation planning moved forward on Tuesday.
A passing boater photographed the group on Sunday, about thigh deep in the Scioto River with fishing poles in hand near a big log. U.S. Geological Survey data showed the river was running high and fast, and the adults were in an area where Jet Skis, tubing and swimming are not permitted in any city of Columbus reservoir.
Brenda Raya and the children
Jose Mario Pineda Dias and Marina Suyapa Regalado had been fishing with their two children. One child fled the riverbank in panic and reached the road while the adults were drowning, and a passing driver who called 911 said the boy was screaming, “Mama! Mama!”
Brenda Raya launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral, transportation and childcare costs for the two orphaned children. Raya said the children are 8 and 10, and wrote that “The emotional and financial burden is overwhelming, and we want to honor the memory of our loved ones while providing for the children left behind.”
Heather Byers of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said, “Even though the water doesn’t seem to be moving very quickly, you can still get swept away in very slow-moving water.” She also said, “Also, since you can’t always see the bottom, you never know if you’re in, you know, you could be in 2 to 3 feet of water, what you’re comfortable standing in, and then the next thing you know you’re at 4 or 5 feet.”
Honduras and Ohio
Flabia Zamora said on Tuesday that Honduras was “working with U.S. authorities to bring their bodies home” and that “once U.S. officials have identified all the victims, Honduras will start the repatriation process, which could take at least a month.” The identification of the remaining victim will determine when the repatriation process can begin.
