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Five Adults Drown Rescuing Swimmer in Ohio River; Four Hondurans

7/22/2026

45 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Rescuers Drown

Five adults, including four Honduran citizens, drowned while rescuing a swimmer in Ohio’s Scioto River.
Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said all five entered the water to aid a struggling man.
The women’s bodies were recovered Sunday and the men’s bodies Monday.
The 8- and 10-year-old children were placed in Ohio family services care.
Honduran consular director Flabia Zamora said repatriation could take at least a month after U.S. identification.

Summary

Balzer Leads Search

Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said fire, police, EMS, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Columbus Police dive team joined the search.
USGS data showed the Scioto River flowing at about 350 cubic feet per second, over twice its average.
A language barrier and the trauma of the two children, ages six and seven, complicated communication.

History

Historical Context

In April 2018 a makeshift boat capsized on the Ohio River near Cincinnati, killing six and prompting Governor Mike DeWine to tighten boat-safety rules. The river, the United States’ third-largest by discharge (about 281,500 cu ft/s at its mouth), remains fast-moving, a factor in today’s multi-agency search led by Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer on the Scioto River.

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Rescuers Drown

Five adults, including four Honduran citizens, drowned while rescuing a swimmer in Ohio’s Scioto River.
Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said all five entered the water to aid a struggling man.
The women’s bodies were recovered Sunday and the men’s bodies Monday.
The 8- and 10-year-old children were placed in Ohio family services care.
Honduran consular director Flabia Zamora said repatriation could take at least a month after U.S. identification.

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