CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The search for a missing Chillicothe man has ended in tragedy. The family confirmed to the Guardian that the body pulled from the banks of the Scioto River was that of 35-year-old Zach Melott.
On Tuesday, Melott’s fiancee reached out to the Guardian, asking the public for help in locating him. “I just want to get him home safe,” said Lindsay Anderson. Anderson told the Guardian that during the early morning hours on Monday, Melott suffered a seizure and then fled his home in a disoriented state. A missing person report was also filed on Tuesday with the Chillicothe Police Department.
The search came to its conclusion on Wednesday when dispatchers received a 911 call shortly before 6 p.m.
Officials said that the caller had spotted a purple paddle boat in the Scioto River near the 1900 block of Charleston Pike. The caller was able to provide video to deputies on the scene. The video, the caller told deputies, showed a purple paddle boat in the river with what appeared to be a body floating nearby.
The Ross County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from search and rescue teams in the county, as well as a drone from the V.A. Fire Department and a helicopter from the Ohio Highway Patrol. Around 7 p.m., a drone spotted the paddle boat floating south along the river. About an hour later, the body of Melott was found along the riverbank.
It is unclear at this time how long the man was in the river or the exact events leading up to his death. The investigation, the sheriff’s office said, is still ongoing.
“Heartbroken isn’t even the word for it,” said Melott’s fiancee. The news of his death has been making its way across social media, with several residents sharing their sentiments. “I can’t believe you gained your wings,” said one person.
The Guardian extends its condolences to the family.