The search for the father who went missing in the fast-flowing Cuyahoga River over the weekend continued June 23, with officials now classifying the operation as a recovery mission.
“Our heart hurts for the family, we’re here to support them, we’ve been doing everything we can to comfort them and provide closure,” Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters said during a press conference June 23.
Father and son go missing in Cuyahoga River
The search has extended miles from where the man and his child fell into the river, with crews going as far up river as physically possible, Cuyahoga Falls firefighter Daniel Pittman said.
“We are attacking the main parts where most of these incidents occur, and we are going to the areas that seem less likely, but we are checking every nook and cranny,” he said.
The body of the man’s 5-year-old son, identified by the Summit County Medical Examiner as Braxton Cross, was recovered by search crews on the morning of June 22, a day after the incident.
There are numerous hazards that are impeding the department’s search efforts for the man, in particular the debris left over from recent storms, the fire department noted.
The dropping water level was expected to aid in the search, Pittman said. Water levels were near 8 feet on June 22 but have since dropped to 4 feet.
“Things that were inaccessible yesterday are absolutely accessible today,” Pittman said. “We’ve gone further up-river today and we have located more high hazard areas since the water has gone down.”
“Our goals for today are to research the areas that we searched yesterday to see what impact the overnight has had on the river and our conditions to search, and we are going to be examining new areas to expand our search,” Falls Fire Chief Chris Martin reported.
What happened on Saturday, June 21 in the Cuyahoga River?
The Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department responded to multiple reports of a man and child in the Cuyahoga River after their inflatable apparently capsized near the Portage Trail Bridge on the evening of June 21.
First responders found a woman and child near the shore upon arriving at the scene, Falls Police Chief Chris Martin said during the press conference. The woman said the adult male and the 5-year-old child were last seen floating down the Cuyahoga River near Broad Boulevard by the Sheraton Suites
The family was tubing on three tubes that were connected when the incident happened, according to Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland. 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.
The man was then reportedly able to get his wife and 4-year-old son out of the water, saving their lives.
The initial search lasted a few hours before it was called off due to fading visibility and hazardous water conditions at about 10 p.m. that evening.
The search resumed the next morning, and the child’s body was found at about 9:30 a.m. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene, Martin said.
The search continued until fading visibility again forced operations to shut down.
The search resumed about 8 a.m. June 23. The Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department has used about 50 personnel, five boats, multiple drones and two search canines to aid the search effort, Martin said.
As of late afternoon, the man’s body had not been recovered.
Joining Cuyahoga Falls Fire in the search effort are the Akron Fire Department, the Summit County Water Rescue Team, Metro Parks Rangers, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Public urged to avoid Cuyahoga River at Gorge Metro Park
The public was strongly urged to avoid the Cuyahoga River and the surrounding Gorge Metro Park area in the days following the incident due to the high water levels and hazardous conditions.
“Safety is always our priority in the river, and we encourage people to do their homework before they ever get in the water,” Walters said.
This is a developing story.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com, or on Twitter @athompsonABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Recovery efforts continue in search of man who went missing in Cuyahoga River today
Reporting by Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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