Jose Mario Pineda Dias and his wife Marina Suyapa Regalado came to Ohio from Honduras looking for a quiet life and a better future for their young family. On a warm Sunday afternoon, the 33-year-old husband and 28-year-old mother headed out with their two young children for some simple fishing along the Scioto River in Delaware County.
The weather was finally cooling down after weeks of intense summer heat, making it an ideal day to relax by the water. They were joined at the riverbank near Powell by another married couple from Honduras and a close friend, creating a tight-knit group enjoying each other’s company outdoors.
Earlier that day, a passing boater took a photo showing the group standing about thigh-deep in the water near a large log, fishing poles in hand. Everything seemed calm on the surface, but the river was actually running high and fast beneath the surface.
Things turned dark in an instant when one member of the group lost their footing in the hidden current and started struggling to stay afloat. Seeing their friend in clear danger, Jose, Marina, and the other adults immediately went into the deeper water to help.
It was an instinctive, brave moment that quickly turned into a complete catastrophe. The fast-moving current proved far too strong for any of them to handle, pulling all five adults underwater before anyone could pull them back to safety.
Up on the bank, the couple’s 8-year-old son watched in total panic as his parents and their friends disappeared into the river. Wrapped in only a towel, the young boy ran up the riverbank toward the nearby highway, crying and screaming for his mother as cars passed by.
A concerned driver saw the terrified child near the busy road and dialed 911 right away to get help to the scene. Emergency crews searched the river through the night, recovering two women on Sunday and three men the following morning.
Honduran officials confirmed that four of the five victims were Honduran citizens and are now working with local authorities to send their remains home. Meanwhile, family members like Brenda Raya have stepped up to raise funds for funeral expenses and to care for the two young children left behind.
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