DELAWARE — The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has identified the five adults who tragically drowned in the Scioto River on July 19, according to a statement issued Thursday afternoon.
All of the victims were Columbus residents:
- Marina Suyapa Regalado Miranda, 29
- Jose Mario Pineda Diaz, 33
- Carmen Idalia Ferrera Lara, 30
- Miguel Angel Guerra Ruiz, 34
- Jonathan Gabriel Vargas, 18
The names were released after notifying all of the victims’ next of kin and confirming their identities.
Delaware County Sheriff Jeff Balzer said, “Our hearts go out to the families of the five drowning victims from this past Sunday.”
The DCSO confirmed that they are still investigating the tragedy.
Dispatch log provides new details
A computer-aided dispatch (CAD) log released by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office provides new details about the chaotic first minutes of the incident.
Among the new details:
The first 911 call was not for a drowning. Dispatch records show a passing motorist called 911 after spotting a young child, believed to be about 5 years old, walking near State Route 257 wearing only a blue towel. The child was crying and calling for “Mamma” while walking toward the road.
Minutes later, the scope of the emergency became clear. A second caller reported the child had run to them saying, “My father has died.” Witnesses then spotted what appeared to be a body in the water. The dispatch log also notes the child was carrying his father’s cellphone and other personal belongings.
Witnesses told dispatch they observed alcohol at the scene. One caller reported seeing “lots [of] alcohol around the area” and described multiple bags near the shoreline. Sheriff Jeff Balzer said Monday investigators found coolers at the scene but had not determined whether alcohol played a role in the incident.
Responders initially struggled to determine how many people were missing. Early reports referenced a single possible victim before witnesses and survivors indicated multiple adults had entered the water, prompting an expanding response involving rescue boats, dive teams, drones and helicopters.
The dispatch log also provides a clearer timeline of the emergency response. Responders reported beginning CPR at 9:49 p.m. After rescue efforts continued for about 20 more minutes, dispatch requested the county coroner at 10:09 p.m.
Language barriers complicated the rescue effort. The dispatch log shows incident commanders requesting interpreters as crews worked to determine who had been in the water and who remained unaccounted for. Around 11:25 p.m., command officially transitioned the operation from a rescue to a recovery effort.
Deputies’ initial reconstruction came from interviews with the two surviving children. According to a summary entered into the CAD log at 4:35 a.m. Monday, deputies determined seven people — five adults and two juveniles — had been fishing, eating, drinking and swimming together.
Based on the children’s accounts, one man swam too far from shore and was unable to return. Two women entered the water in an attempt to rescue him before also struggling, and the remaining two men then entered the water to help but were likewise unable to make it back to shore.
Deputies wrote that only the two juveniles remained on land.
Sheriff: Bodies of all 5 adults recovered from Scioto River after apparent rescue attempts
Crews recovered five adults from the Scioto River after apparent rescue attempts; read what officials know about the Delaware County tragedy.
