13-year-old drowns while swimming with family in Ohio River, WV officials say

UPDATE: Two people were arrested and charged July 16 in connection with the drowning death of the 13-year-old, Weirton police said, according to WTOV and WTAE. She was identified as Reese Hanshaw, McClatchy News reported.

The original story is below.

A 13-year-old drowned while swimming with family in the Ohio River, West Virginia officials said.

Police said the girl, from Burgettstown, was overtaken by a current just before 7 p.m. June 30 near the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Brooke County, WTRF reported.

She was not identified by officials.

A Weirton police officer jumped in the river to pull her out, and emergency officials attempted life saving measures on her before she was taken to a hospital where she died, MetroNews and WTOV reported.

Brooke County is about a 50-mile drive southwest from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 10:19 AM with the headline "13-year-old drowns while swimming with family in Ohio River, WV officials say."

Natalie Demaree

mcclatchy-newsroom

479-616-0125

Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas.