Show Caption
Two married couples from Honduras were among the five people who drowned in an Ohio river, Honduran officials said July 21, as authorities worked to identify the remaining victims and arrange the return of the bodies.Flavia Zamora, director general of consular affairs at the Honduras' Foreign Ministry, identified two of the victims as José Mario Pineda Díaz, 33, and his wife, Marina Suyapa Regalado Miranda, 29. A second couple from Honduras also died in the incident, but authorities were awaiting official confirmation of their identities.The fifth victim was a Salvadoran national, Zamora said during a news conference on July 21.The five victims drowned on July 19 along the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir in the Scioto River, according to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office. They were part of a group that had gathered in the area to "enjoy themselves on a summer night," including doing some fishing, Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer said.Investigators believe one person entered the water to swim but began struggling, the sheriff said. Two others went into the river to help, and they also "started to struggle in the river," Balzer added. Two more people then entered the water in an apparent rescue attempt."That's when the tragedy started to occur," Balzer said during a news conference on July 20. "Up to five people possibly went in the river."The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio. The O'Shaughnessy Reservoir area is located in the city of Powell, a suburb of the state capital Columbus.Distraught child alerted motorist to family in Ohio riverA preliminary investigation revealed that the group may have consisted of two sets of parents, two children, and at least one additional person, according to Balzer.Zamora confirmed that the group was at the river on the afternoon of July 19 and two men had entered the water to help a person struggling to swim. Their wives then went into the river to help, but all five drowned.A driver called 911 shortly after 9 p.m. local time July 19 after spotting a distraught child running along State Route 257 near the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir, Balzer previously said. The child told the driver that family members were in the river.First responders rushed to the scene and pulled two women from the water, according to Balzer. They were transported to area hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. Recovery crews resumed searching July 20 and later found the bodies of three men.The children who were on shore were under 10, and a language barrier made it difficult for authorities to get information from most of them, the sheriff said. The children were placed in the care of Delaware County Job and Family Services.Honduran officials: Repatriation efforts underwayZamora said Honduran officials are in contact with relatives of the victims and are working with U.S. authorities to repatriate the victims' bodies. The repatriation process could take at least a month."We are already in contact with their relatives and are explaining the process that must be followed for the repatriation procedure," she said at the news conference.A relative of Díaz, who lives in the United States, is assisting with arrangements, according to Zamora.The Associated Press reported that Brenda Raya, who identified herself as a relative of the victims, started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral and transportation expenses and support the two children left orphaned by the tragedy. Raya said the children are 8 and 10 years old, according to AP.Contributing: Bailey Gallion, USA TODAY Network
