Two of the five victims who died after entering an Ohio river to rescue a struggling swimmer have been identified as a married couple originally from Honduras.
Jose Mario Pineda Dias, 33, and Marina Suyada Regalado, 28, drowned Sunday in the Scioto River in Powell after someone in their group went swimming and became distressed in the water, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities believe the couple were the parents of two young children, ages six and seven, who were at the scene as the devastating family tragedy unfolded.
Officials said the group had been fishing in the area before the swimmer began struggling in the river.
Several people then rushed into the water in an effort to help, but they too became trapped by the conditions.
‘That’s when the tragedy started to occur. I understand that one person got in the river, was struggling in the water. Two people went in to try to save them,’ Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said.
‘Those people started struggling in the river. Now we have two additional people go in the water.’
As the terrifying scene unfolded, Balzer said a ‘clearly distraught’ young boy, wearing only a towel, ran along State Route 257 and flagged down a driver, telling them his ‘family was in the river.’
Three men and two women died after attempting to rescue a person in their party that began to drown on Sunday, officials said
Officials have previously said that a group had been fishing nearby when the swimmer began to struggle in the river
The motorist quickly called 911, describing how the young boy was ‘screaming “Mama! Mama!”‘ and he was about to come out onto the road and he was crying.’
The unidentified driver then told dispatchers she was afraid the boy was headed onto a multi-lane road that snakes around the river’s eastern banks.
Several other calls were made to emergency services around 9.25pm on the night of the tragedy.
The sheriff said that two women were later pulled from the water and tragically pronounced dead at a hospital. The bodies of three men were found on Monday.
‘It’s not unusual for one person to be struggling in the water,’ said Sheriff Balzer.
‘Other people attempt to save them, yet they don’t have the skills to do that, so we end up with multiple deaths.’
ALSO READ: What is Niko Omilana's Religion, Ethnicity, and Parental Background?
Water conditions of the river on Sunday were high and fast, according to data from a US Geological Survey water gauge at the nearby dam
Flabia Zamora, the director of consular affairs at the Honduran Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday they were working with US authorities to bring their bodies home.
She said that once US officials identify all of the victims, Honduras will start the repatriation process – which could take a month.
The couple’s children remain in the care of the state of Ohio, but Zamora said efforts will be made to reunite them with relatives in Honduras.
Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said at a news conference that boy running along state Route 257 was spotted by a driver who told him that his family was in the river
Water conditions of the river on Sunday were high and fast, according to data from a US Geological Survey water gauge at the nearby dam.
The river was flowing at a rate of about 350 cubic feet per second, which is more than double the average rate.
Balzer warned swimmers to take safety precautions, especially during the summer months.
‘Anytime you’re near water, you need to be confident in your swimming ability or have safety devices available. There’s no shame in wearing a life jacket. It saves lives every day,’ he said.
The Sheriff said that two women were later found but were pronounced dead at a hospital. The bodies of three men were found on Monday
The tragedy comes shortly after a 23-year-old woman lost her mother, stepdad, and three brothers in treacherous flash floods during a family hike in Utah.
Spencer and Katrina Long, both 44, and their three sons, Thayne, 13, Gage, 12, and Reid, were swept away after ‘heavy rain’ came down on Friday near the Sunglow campground while they went hiking and canyoneering, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were first called to the campground that night after the body of a young man was found in the flood wash.
Spencer, a decorated Provo Fire Captain, and two of his sons, were located that night. His wife and their other son were discovered the following morning.
