Five drown while trying to rescue swimmer in Ohio's Scioto River

Five people lost their lives on Sunday evening after several they entered the Scioto River in an attempt to rescue a struggling swimmer.

According to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, seven individuals were together for a summer evening and fishing. It included two sets of parents, an adult friend, and two children.

One individual jumped into the water and tried swimming but struggled against the current. Four others jumped in the river to rescue him but also faced trouble breathing. All five individuals ended up drowning in the river during the rescue attempt.

The emergency response began at 9 pm when a passing driver called 911 after seeing a child, around 4 and 6, running along a nearby street. The child told the motorist that members of their family were drowning in the water.

Rescue teams found 2 women in the river on Sunday. They were taken to a hospital but later died. The next day, search teams were able to find the bodies of the remaining three males who were still missing.

The two children were under the age of 10 and the only ones to survive the incident. Authorities said that they have been placed in the care of family services, as they are trying to track and inform their relatives.

The United States Geological Survey shared that the river was flowing at around 350 cubic feet per second, which was more than four times than just three days earlier.

Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer advised that such incidents can happen when people try to help without having necessary swimming or rescue skills.

"It's not unusual, I think, for one person to be struggling ‌in ⁠the water, and other people attempt to save him, yet they don't have the skills to do that, so we end up with multiple deaths," he said.

There has been no other information released by the authorities, as the case is under investigation.