HAMILTON, Ohio — Butler County investigators have identified the male drowning victim pulled from the Great Miami River in Hamilton Monday morning.
The victim was identified as 35-year-old Nathan Durbin of Fairfield.
Sgt. Kim Peters said a passerby spotted Durbin's body floating in the river near the Black Street bridge just after 7 a.m. Durbin was pronounced deceased when first responders arrived to the scene.
Peters said foul play is not suspected, but the investigation is ongoing. Authorities typically see an uptick in drownings or near-drownings at the river when summer begins.
"The river is very dangerous — a lot of undertows, a lot of currents, heavy currents," Peters said. "A lot of people like to get in to wade, fish and we try to express to them that it's very dangerous. You can be taken in a minute."
Peters warns the water may not look deep along the river but it can drop quickly.
"It is dangerous. It can be very dangerous and we don't like coming to incidents like this," Peters said.
According to Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, "The river can look fun, but looks can be deceiving. Be cautious when out on the water. It's not even summer and we are already responding to these tragic calls."
Durbin's official cause of death is pending on the Coroner's report.
The Journal-News contributed to this report.
