Search efforts for man in Great Miami River to continue Saturday

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

The search continues for a man who went into the Great Miami River Thursday afternoon, according to Dayton Fire Department officials.

>> PHOTOS: Water rescue underway at Great Miami River in Dayton

Around 4 p.m. on Thursday, a water rescue response was dispatched to the Great Miami River near West Monument Avenue of reports of an adult male in the water.

Active search operations were suspended Thursday evening due to darkness and safety concerns. The search resumed Friday, but transitioned into a recovery operation, according to Dayton Fire Assistant Chief Brad French.

“Due to the water temperature and conditions of the river, it was determined that we could make a rescue in about an hour and a half time frame. After that time frame had expired, we pivoted into a recovery mode of operation,” Dayton Fire District Chief Tyler McCoy said.

As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, search crews believe they know where the person man may be located, due to sonar technology and K9 indication.

“Where we believe the victim is, is very turbulent water and it’s very dangerous to put divers in the water. So for the safety of our crew members, we’re putting fence out there to try to capture the victim and bring him up, that way we can keep our personnel out of harm’s way,” McCoy said.

Officials from the Dayton Fire Department said Friday’s rain has caused the water levels to rise and become more turbulent, making it unsafe for divers to enter.

>>RELATED: Search continues for man in Great Miami River Thursday

News Center 7′s Malik Patterson saw water rescue crews walking the shallow points of the river.

“Gets a little shallower, five to 10 feet, but then it drops back down again to depths of 20 to 30 feet. So those really deep areas of the river are really difficult to search. We’re continuing to run sonar over them to see if we can see anything,” Dayton Fire Department Chief Mike Rice said.

Crews stopped searching and will continue active operations Saturday morning, French said.

Multiple departments are involved including the Dayton Police Department, Five Rivers MetroParks, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Five Rivers MetroParks is handling the investigation, according to law enforcement.