COLUMBUS, Ohio – On a serene Sunday afternoon, Marcus L. Martin was enjoying a day on the Scioto River when unease struck him. A seasoned boater familiar with these waters, Martin noticed a group of five adults wading through a stretch notoriously known for its dangers. With a sinking feeling, he suspected they were the ill-fated individuals who tragically drowned later that day. His instincts were spot on as he captured their image in a photograph.
The risk of the location was no secret to Martin, as he shared with The Associated Press. “I recall being taught about the perilous nature of that area,” he recounted, highlighting the steep slopes and sudden river drop-offs. Some years back, Martin had encountered a pair of youngsters playing in that same segment of the river and had cautioned them to tread carefully.
His gaze shifted between the five adults in the water and the two children nearby, playing innocently on the grassy bank. These details perfectly matched the description later released by Delaware County officials after the tragic drowning incident.
After a break to soak in the evening’s warm glow with his family, Martin passed by the same area about two hours later. The group was still in the river, and something within prompted him to take a photograph of them, documenting their fateful position.
“I’m not sure what compelled me,” Martin reflected. “But there was an urge, almost an instinct, telling me to capture that moment in a picture.”
Martin said he knows the area well from 10 years of boating there and considered warning the people of the potential danger. But, unlike when he’d warned the two people earlier, there were two or three boats between him and them and he didn’t want to cross between them and cause too many waves in the water.
He’s been losing sleep over the decision since news broke of five people drowning that afternoon. It feels “surreal,” he said.
“I believe the picture I took may have been the last picture of them being alive,” he said.
Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer has said authorities believe one of the adults began struggling to swim and the others successively went to that person’s aid. All five were swept under and died. The two women’s bodies were recovered Sunday and the three other bodies a day later.
Neither Balzer’s office nor the local EMS agency immediately responded to requests for verification of the photo and those who appear in it.
Martin said he feels certain the group he photographed is of the five people who perished Sunday; it’s rare to see people fishing or swimming in that stretch of the river. He said he attempted to share the picture with both law enforcement and a news reporter at the scene the day after the drownings, but no one seemed interested.
Honduran authorities confirmed Tuesday that four of the five adults were Honduran citizens. One was Jose Mario Pineda Dias, 33, another his wife Marina Suyapa Regalado, 28. The other couple and the fifth individual have yet to be identified.
The government of Honduras said it is working with the U.S. to bring their bodies home. The repatriation process could take at least a month.
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, children of one of the couples, were orphaned by the tragedy. They were taken into initial custody by the state of Ohio, but arrangements were being made to reunite them with relatives in Honduras.
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