Missing man, girl identified as pair recovered from Great Miami River in Dayton

Dayton firefighters and police responded to the Great Miami River near the West Monument Avenue bridge for a report of a body in the water on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

Dayton firefighters and police responded to the Great Miami River near the West Monument Avenue bridge for a report of a body in the water on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

A missing man and and his daughter were identified as the two people whose bodies were found in the Great Miami River in Dayton Monday afternoon.

Oscar Garcia, 28, and Scarlibeth Garcia-Montes, 9, were recovered near the West Monument Avenue bridge.

Scarlibeth Garcia Montes, left, and Oscar Garcia. Photos courtesy the Dayton Police Department.

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The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office will determine their cause and manner of death.

Dayton police homicide detectives are also investigating.

“We extend our condolences to the Garcia family and ask the community to keep them in their thoughts during this difficult time,” read a statement from the police department.

Police and firefighters responded to river around 1:20 p.m. Monday after a 911 caller reported a body in the water.

“I’m walking across the bridge and I’m looking out at the water and I do believe it’s a body right here,” the caller said in a 911 call released by Montgomery County Regional Dispatch.

The caller said the body appeared to be female and was facedown in the middle of the river.

It’s not clear how Garcia-Montes and Garcia got into the water.

On Friday, police asked for the public’s help finding the pair after they were last seen around 5:45 a.m. Thursday.

The family vehicle was found in a parking lot near Code Credit Union at 335 W. Monument Ave.

Crews also found a child’s shoes, socks, keys, a tablet and a cellphone near the river, according to police

On Thursday and Friday police searched for Garcia-Montes and Garcia near the the river.

In addition to Dayton police, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Fire Department dive team, Piqua Fire Department dive team, Five Rivers MetroParks rangers, Huber Heights Police Division and Texas EquuSearch also responded.

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