East Fork Lake drowning. Ally Sidloski University of Cincinnati soccer star drowns at Ohio park lake. Was not wearing life vest when she disappeared into body of water.
Tragedy. A University of Cincinnati soccer player drowned at a state park in Ohio, over the weekend, authorities and school officials said.
Ally Sidloski, 21, was last seen hanging from the platform of a boat on William Harsha Lake when she disappeared into the water on Saturday, witnesses said, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Her body was recovered by search crews at about 1 a.m. Sunday at East Fork State Park, officials said.
A total of 15 adults, including Sidloski, were on the boat when she disappeared. Her body was found closer to a dam at Harsha Lake, where the water depth reaches roughly 113 feet, according to DNR’s website.
Sidloski, of Strongsville, was not wearing a life vest at the time WLWT reported.
Lauded student
An investigation into Sidloski’s death was ongoing.
‘ODNR reminds watercraft users to operate their equipment responsibly, always wear a life jacket and pay close attention to local conditions and posted advisories,’ department officials said in an email to the nypost.
Sidloski recently wrapped up her sophomore soccer season, although she was sidelined due to injury, the University of Cincinnati announced.
‘I am absolutely crushed for the Sidloski family, our soccer team and the university,’ head soccer coach Neil Stafford said. ‘There’s no words for dealing with a tragedy on this scale.’
Sidloski was known as a ‘great student’ and a ‘gritty and resilient’ player on the pitch, Stafford said. She was recognized multiple semesters for having a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
‘Ally was such a pillar of everything that’s right about our program,’ Stafford said.
The university’s director of athletics, John Cunningham, is asking mourners to respect the privacy of Sidloski’s teammates and family as they cope with her loss.
Needless death
The four-year soccer standout at Strongsville High School is survived by her parents and two sisters. Funeral arrangements for Sidloski will be announced once they’re finalized, university officials said.
Not immediately clear is why Sidloski had not worn a life vest and whether wearing life vests are mandatory at the lake.
And then there was this comment on social media that seemingly offers more detail as to how Sidloski died: ‘After getting more information from a local news report it sounds like this will be another needless death due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Reports stated she disappeared under water after hanging on to a boat swim deck. The boat motor was likely running and she was unknowingly getting the exhaust fumes. This happens more than people know. Boat manufacturers need to be forced to change the design for boat exhaust.’
