CLEVELAND, Ohio — Emergency crews searched the Cuyahoga River early Tuesday morning after an adult man jumped into the water in the Flats and disappeared, according to Cleveland Division of Fire Public Information Officer Lieutenant Mike Norman.
According to Cleveland Fire, crews were called to the East Bank of the Flats near Riverbed Street around 2:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a man in the river.
Officials said eyewitnesses and surveillance video showed the man jump into the water from the opposite side of the river.
They say he swam roughly 20 feet before going underwater and never resurfaced.
A large-scale response followed, with Cleveland Fire, Cleveland EMS, water rescue teams, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Cleveland Police all assisting in the search.
Rescuers used multiple resources, including a fire boat and a dive team, in an effort to locate the man.
Norman said crews initially received sonar hits that appeared promising, prompting divers to enter the water.
Despite those efforts, the man was not found.
“I don’t know why he jumped in,” Norman said. “He apparently was trying to swim across the river, got about 20 feet out and disappeared under the water.”
Norman said difficult conditions complicated the search.
“The conditions in the river. This is a busy commercial river, so that presents some challenges. The traffic flow in the river and visibility was very low at the bottom," Norman said.
The search has now been temporarily suspended.
Officials have not identified the man, and his whereabouts remain unknown.
Norman said the U.S. Coast Guard will determine whether search efforts can resume later Monday morning.
We will update this story as we learn more information.
