Body of boy, 5, found, search ongoing for man in Cuyahoga River after inflatable capsizes
Note: Earlier reports stated that the man and child had been on a kayak. The article has been updated to state that the two were on an inflatable flotation device. Incorrect information was provided.
Rescuers confirmed that the body of a boy, 5, was found after a search along the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls that started Saturday evening. A search is still ongoing for a man. Both were reported missing after their inflatable floatation device reportedly capsized in the river.
A vehicle from the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office was on the scene at Gorge Metro Park after 10 a.m. It was joined by a second vehicle just before 11 a.m. They both left the scene at 11:02 a.m., and two Cuyahoga Falls ambulances arrived around that time.
Both rescue boats came back to shore at around 10:45 a.m. Three Akron Fire Department units were on scene at just after 8 a.m. on Sunday and were still on scene as of 11 a.m.
The Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department responded to a report of a man and the child in the Cuyahoga River after their inflatable apparently capsized near the Sheraton Suites on Saturday.
The family was tubing on three tubes that were connected when the incident happened, according to Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland. Tubing was something they frequently did together, family members said.
The family said the water was calm for a long time, but once they got near a bridge, the water got very rough and they flipped over. That's when family members say the man gave up his life to save his family. He was able to get his wife and 4-year-old son out of the water.
Akron Fire Lt. Robert Langston said the city's Dive Team was dispatched to the scene around 7:50 p.m. to assist in the search and rescue.
The dive team returned to the scene at 10:13 a.m., according to an Akron Beacon Journal reporter on the scene.
A search by divers and crews of the area where the kayak was last seen did not result in finding the pair.
Langston said the search was suspended around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday because of a "lack of visibility" in the fast-moving river as a result of storms this week.
"It is reported by authorities on scene that the river is moving fast, 2,240 cubic feet per second and is 7.2 feet deep as estimated, approximately 4 to 5 feet deeper than normal," Langston said Sunday morning. "Metropark and Cuyahoga Falls Fire authorities are urging people to use caution if entering the river at any point, and stay out of fast moving currents."
Float the River, which offers lazy river and kayaking excursions in Cuyahoga Falls and Zanesville, closed their operations in Cuyahoga Falls both Saturday and Sunday due to the high water levels in the river.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Body of boy found in Cuyahoga River after inflatable capsizes
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Note: Earlier reports stated that the man and child had been on a kayak. The article has been updated to state that the two were on an inflatable flotation device. Incorrect information was provided. Rescuers confirmed that the body of a boy, 5, was found after a search along the Cuyahoga River in Cuyahoga Falls that started Saturday evening. A search is still ongoing for a man. Both were reported missing after their inflatable floatation device reportedly capsized in the river. A vehicle from the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office was on the scene at Gorge Metro Park after 10 a.m. It was joined by a second vehicle just before 11 a.m. They both left the scene at 11:02 a.m., and two Cuyahoga Falls ambulances arrived around that time. Both rescue boats came back to shore at around 10:45 a.m. Three Akron Fire Department units were on scene at just after 8 a.m. on Sunday and were still on scene as of 11 a.m. The Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department responded to a report of a man and the child in the Cuyahoga River after their inflatable apparently capsized near the Sheraton Suites on Saturday. The family was tubing on three tubes that were connected when the incident happened, according to Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland. Tubing was something they frequently did together, family members said. The family said the water was calm for a long time, but once they got near a bridge, the water got very rough and they flipped over. That's when family members say the man gave up his life to save his family. He was able to get his wife and 4-year-old son out of the water. Akron Fire Lt. Robert Langston said the city's Dive Team was dispatched to the scene around 7:50 p.m. to assist in the search and rescue. The dive team returned to the scene at 10:13 a.m., according to an Akron Beacon Journal reporter on the scene. A search by divers and crews of the area where the kayak was last seen did not result in finding the pair. Langston said the search was suspended around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday because of a "lack of visibility" in the fast-moving river as a result of storms this week. "It is reported by authorities on scene that the river is moving fast, 2,240 cubic feet per second and is 7.2 feet deep as estimated, approximately 4 to 5 feet deeper than normal," Langston said Sunday morning. "Metropark and Cuyahoga Falls Fire authorities are urging people to use caution if entering the river at any point, and stay out of fast moving currents." Float the River, which offers lazy river and kayaking excursions in Cuyahoga Falls and Zanesville, closed their operations in Cuyahoga Falls both Saturday and Sunday due to the high water levels in the river. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Body of boy found in Cuyahoga River after inflatable capsizes
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