World · Ohio River · ArchiveFive Dead in Ohio River Drowning as 911 Calls Capture Children's Desperate PleasAired July 22, 2026 at 2:16 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00A summer evening along the Scioto River0:02turned to tragedy Sunday when all five0:04adults who entered the water to save a0:05struggling swimmer drowned leaving two0:07young children as the sole witnesses. It0:10happened just outside Columbus near the0:11city of Powell. Investigators say one0:14person began struggling in the water and0:16others jumped in to help. One by one all0:18five adults were pulled under. The only0:20witnesses watching from the riverbank0:22were two children under the age of 10.0:24Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer0:26says the victims ranged in age. All0:28family and friends gathered for a summer0:30outing. The children who saw it happen0:32ran from the riverbank to get help. By0:34the time first responders arrived it was0:37too late. Three men were pulled from the0:38river Monday morning. Two women were0:40rushed to the hospital Sunday evening0:42but did not survive. The two children0:44are now in the custody of child0:46services. On Tuesday Delaware County0:48officials released the 911 calls made by0:50the children. The recordings captured0:52the frantic desperate pleas of young0:54voices trying to explain that the adults0:56in their group were gone. Sheriff Balzer0:58called the tapes gut-wrenching saying1:00the children showed extraordinary1:01composure in an impossible moment. The1:03children have been placed with state1:05child services as investigators continue1:07to piece together exactly how the1:09drownings unfolded. No names have been1:11released at this time.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗