Latest news with #MonongahelaRiver
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
7-year-old recovering after near-drowning in Monongahela River
A little boy is recovering after falling into the Monongahela River in Washington County over the weekend. Emergency crews were called to the California Wharf on Union Street Sunday afternoon. Seven-year-old Christian Davis was fishing off the dock with his older brother when he fell into the river. The brother jumped in after him, but the current was so swift he lost hold, and Christian was taken about a quarter-mile downriver before being rescued. "I was scared. I wanted my brother, but he had to let go, so that broke my heart. I almost cried," Christian Davis said. "When I was reeling in my fishing rod, the current just took me in." Davis recalls a harrowing incident that, if not for the quick actions of one man, may have taken his life. "I thought he was going to die," Jaceon Bailey said. Twelve-year-old Jaceon says the last thing he remembers is hearing a big splash of water, turning around, and seeing his little brother underwater. Without thinking, he jumped in, but when he couldn't get a strong enough hold on Christian, he tried yelling him directions. "I was just telling him to float on his back and stuff and to just try to swim to shore on an angle," Bailey said. Rob Lincavage was downriver when he heard a loud commotion. "I just hear this blood-curdling, terrible screaming from here," Lincavage said. He says he instantly knew someone had gone in the water, so he ran to the boathouse, grabbed the keys to his neighbor's boat, and headed toward the dock. On his way up the river, he spotted a man who was trying to help Christian. "By the time I got to the splashing, all I could see was the bottom side of the kid. He was basically just about underwater. His head was under water already," Lincavage said. "I threw a life vest to the guy who was trying to help him." Lincavage was able to pull Christian onto the boat and take him back to the dock where EMS personnel were waiting. "I was happy he was actually alive and stuff," Bailey said. "I feel super good and now I can just still enjoy my family," Davis said. Christian and his family stopped by the dock on their way home from the hospital on Monday afternoon. Christian, who is overjoyed to be back home, has a message for the man who helped save his life. "I really want to thank him, he's like the best. Thank you, Rob, if you're watching this," Davis said. The boys' family bought life vests on Monday for both of them and says they won't come down to the river without them from now on.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
State and local leaders looking to prevent future tragedies following 12-year-old's drowning death
The drowning death of a 12-year-old Washington County boy who was swimming with friends in the Monongahela River earlier this month has prompted local and state leaders to take action to prevent any future tragedies. The Donora mayor and a county commissioner believe the accidental drowning death of Rontae Lester was preventable. Local and state leaders have channeled their grief for the loss of Lester into a lifesaving mission to spread awareness about the dangers of swimming in the river and to implement safety measures so this tragedy doesn't happen to another family. "No family should have to go through this," said Donora Mayor Donnie Pavelko. "I just can't fathom it. It's heart-wrenching." News of Lester's death has sent shockwaves through the small community of Donora. "With the help of everybody, we may be able to solve this problem for good," Pavelko said. Just days after Lester's death, a conversation among local and state leaders on how to make the area safer and prevent future tragedies began. Topics included providing water safety education in schools that would teach students about the hidden dangers, like river currents. "People don't realize that these lakes and creeks that we have are dangerous, and just because it's not an ocean or a river doesn't mean we don't need water safety," said Washington County Commissioner Electra Janis. Another important area that's lacking, Commissioner Janis says, is signage. There are no warning signs in the area where Lester and his friends were swimming. She believes those would make kids hopefully think twice before getting in the water. "It's an inviting area. It doesn't look dangerous. It looks fun. I expect those to be up in a matter of days," Janis said. Leaders are also exploring ways to keep kids away from the river altogether by providing other fun activities and opportunities when the weather is hot, like a splash pad. "There's state funding available, the county wants to participate as well. It's just a matter of finding a location that's conducive so the parents to be able to walk there. What I really love about the splash pad is that they're safe and you cannot drown." Commissioner Janis encourages community members to reach out to her office with any ideas to improve safety at the river's access point.
CBS News
17-05-2025
- CBS News
Search and rescue teams dispatched to Monongahela River in Donora
A search and rescue operation is underway along the Monongahela River in Donora, Washington County. A Washington County 911 official reported that a call for a possible drowning came in just before 11 a.m. Saturday, near the Donora-Monessen Bridge, adding that the Donora Fire Company is leading the search with several area agencies, and sonar technology is being deployed to assist those on the scene. Crews were actively searching for a child, the 911 official added. Stay with KDKA-TV and for more details on this developing story as they become available.
