For some reason, the falls has become attractive this summer, particularly for people from the Dayton area, Sgt. Jamie McGlinch said.
“A lot of times, there will be 10 to 30 people when we go down there. They say they are hearing about it (Ludlow Falls) through word of mouth,” McGlinch said. “The last week or two, it’s been unreal.”
Village firefighters, whose station is nearby, try to keep an eye on the falls area. They cringe whenever they see young people jump a “good 30 to 40 feet” from the highway bridge into the creek below, said Fire Capt. Chad Allen.
“It is not that we don’t want them to have a good time. It’s dangerous,” Allen said. “Our main concern is kids jumping off the falls and landing on those rocks.” When the water gets high, there’s a lot of undertow and debris under the water, he said.
The fear of drowning is real, firefighters and deputies said. In June 1990, a 16-year-old Troy boy drowned in the pool below Ludlow Falls.
Complaints about swimming have been down until the past few weeks, Duchak said.
In June, around 20 complaints were called in to the county 911 center and others were caught during stepped-up checks of the area.
A group busted for jumping and swimming in the falls area June 27 said, “We saw other people doing it so we thought it was OK,” a deputy reported. All five — two from Dayton, one from Moraine and one each from Anna to the north and nearby West Milton — were cited. Another group included young people from Dayton, Clayton and Englewood.
Fishing is allowed at the creek. A village ordinance bans swimming, wading and bathing in the creek and calls for a fine of up to $50.
The problem extends to partying and leaving trash around the falls, Duchak said.
County Game Warden Jasmine Grossnickle said she has ticketed five people so far with stream littering, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum $500 fine and 60 days in jail.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2292 or nbowman@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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