Cadaver dogs will be brought in

Agencies from both Kentucky and Ohio will be out in force on the Ohio River on Saturday to search for the woman who jumped off the Ironton-Russell Bridge.

“We’re hoping we are going to come up with something,” said Russell Police Detective Phillip Kerns. “The water is down and isn’t flowing as fast. So it will make it easier for searchers.”

A report came in to Greenup 911 on the evening of March 29 that a woman had parked her car in the middle of the bridge and then jumped into river. The Russell Police Department is in charge of the search because the bridge is their jurisdiction.

The Russell Fire Department had been using a boat to search the river daily for the past three weeks, but no body has been located yet.

Kerns said that besides the Russell Fire Department, there would be boats from fire departments of Ironton, South Shore, Lloyd, Worthington, Ashland, as well as the Boyd County Emergency Management.

“So we have enough crews that we are going to be all over the river. We are going to be looking from the bridge to the Greenup Dam,” Kerns said.

They are also bringing in search dogs to help recover the body.

“They are cadaver dogs from South Western Ohio Search and Rescue,” Kerns said. “They can sense a body underwater. So we are going to have six teams with eight dogs to help with the search.”

Although there are rumors going around about who jumped into the Ohio River, police have not released the name of the woman and won’t until a body is found and  they can make a positive identification.

Kerns said he has been in contact with the woman’s family during the whole investigation and have kept them up to date.

Anyone has any information that could held law enforcement and emergency agencies involved in the search, they are asked to contact the Ironton Police Department at 740-532-2338 or the Greenup County 911.