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A naked woman in downtown Louisville jumped into the Ohio River on Thursday. A bystander tried to save her, but in a tragic turn of events, they both ended up washed away by the strong, turbulent current.
Louisville Fire Major Bobby Cooper said police were dispatched downtown after reports of a woman without clothes walking down Sixth Street, according to the Courier-Journal.
“It was almost like she was in a trance. She didn’t acknowledge the man trying to help her. She walked like a robot," attorney Zach Berry told the Courier-Journal. Berry watched the scene unfold from his third-floor office.
Cooper said there were several bystanders trying to help, but only one jumped in the water to try and save the woman. Bystanders saw the man go under the water, but "due to the swift current and river levels and significant amount of debris in the water, our rescue efforts were limited to surface levels," according to the Courier-Journal. The team searched for about two hours until they left the scene.
Officials said the man performed an "incredibly heroic act," but say bystanders shouldn't make themselves a victim.
“It was horrible knowing you can’t save someone, then watching them die. It was an absolute tragedy, is what it was," Berry said.
No bodies have been recovered yet, police said.