An Independence woman lost her life in a tragic incident after her SUV plunged into the icy waters of the Ohio River on Wednesday evening. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office has confirmed the death as an apparent suicide, though her identity has been withheld, as reported by FOX19 NOW.
The Cincinnati police were alerted to a sinking vehicle at around 5:04 p.m. at the intersection of Broadway Street and E. Mehring Way. Witnesses at the scene disclosed that a white SUV made its way into the river from a ramp on Broadway Street, this was further substantiated by camera footage showing the car entering the river. In a challenging six-hour rescue operation, involving multiple dive teams, the submerged vehicle was eventually hauled out of the river around 11 p.m., as The Enquirer reports.
According to Lt. Jerome Herring of the Cincinnati Police, the bitter cold temperatures and poor visibility posed significant obstacles. "It depends on visibility and the officer's ability to get into the water," Herring expressed in a statement to both FOX19 NOW and The Enquirer.
As crews labored to pull the vehicle out of the treacherous river, a passerby who had witnessed the SUV's descent into the river had called 911 to alert the authorities, making the response possible, as WCPO in Cincinnati reported. The rescue team's swift measures ensured the extraction of the vehicle before 11:30 p.m. Although initially unclear on the number of passengers, police later confirmed that the woman was the only person in the vehicle. The incident continues to be investigated, and the community remains in shock over the unfortunate event.
