Fire Chief Urges Swimming Safety, Drowning Death Under Investigation

While the water can look refreshing from a distance, the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Chief recommends swimmers take a dip in designated swim areas instead of the Cuyahoga River.

“We have , we have the , swim there,” Paul Moledor said, fire chief. “Those are your designated swim areas and always swim with a buddy and use the buddy system.”

Moledor is emphasizing safety after a drowning death on Wednesday. 

On Wednesday afternoon, an Akron teen struggled after swimming in the Cuyahoga River near Front Street and Bailey Road under the Doodlebug Bridge. A short time later, Davion McCail, 16, died at at 5:46 p.m. He was swimming with a friend at the time of the incident.

Patch's Coverage of the Drowning:

An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday morning.

The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office and are investigating McCail’s drowning death. 

This is the second drowning reported this year in the Cuyahoga River. In early June, into the river at . Dyak's death was ruled accidental after an autopsy determined she died in the water from a dislocated neck.