USA TODAY International Edition
Swimming teen dies after being sucked into dam at lake in Ohio
MIFFLIN, Ohio – An 18-year-old Ohio woman died late Thursday almost 24 hours after being pulled from a dam spillway.
Carl Richert, chief deputy for the Ashland County Sheriff ’s Department, confirmed Friday that Regina Miller, 18, of Lakeville died at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital.
Miller was fishing with her sister and four teenage boys near the dam on Charles Mill Lake east of Mansfield about 2 a.m. Thursday when she and her sister decided to go swimming, Richert said.
Both women started having trouble swimming because of the strong currents. The first 911 call was received at 2:17 a.m., Richert said. One of the boys was able to help Miller’s sister out of the water.
Miller was seen being sucked in through the grate of the north side of the dam at 2:21 a.m.
Jared Tims, of Fredericktown, who was fishing on the south side of the dam near the spillway, saw a girl facedown in the water at 2:24 a.m., Richert said.
Tims jumped in, dragged the woman to the shore and started performing CPR with the help of an unknown boy who came to assist. The woman had no pulse and was not breathing when she was pulled from the water.
A rescue squad from Mifflin Township in Ashland County took Miller to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, Richert said.
Mifflin Township/Ashland County Fire Chief J.J. Bittinger said there are designated swimming areas at Charles Mill.
“It’s very dangerous at the dam,” he said. “And right now there’s a lot of water pressure because of the rain we’ve been having recently. There’s a lot of water flowing.”
Bittinger said the water by the dam looks calm, but there is a strong undercurrent. No one should be swimming at the dam anytime, he said.