The Greater Cincinnati Police Museum
“Preserving the History of Law Enforcement in the Greater Cincinnati Area”
During May 1989, rains caused the Great Miami River to rise to 23 feet. On May 26th, a temporary bridge across the river at Miamitown on Harrison Avenue (U.S. 52) collapsed, reportedly taking with it up to three occupied vehicles. For several days, Hamilton County Sheriff Deputies and Hamilton County Police Association Underwater Search and Recovery, during unseasonably hot weather, conducted an intense search. On May 30th they found and pulled one body from the river. By the end of the month, they were “plagued by exhaustion, sunburn, and equipment failure,” according to Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
On June 1, 1989, at 3:30 p.m., working overtime and not feeling well, Sergeant Mondary supervised operations at the search site. He suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Emergency medical personnel called for AirCare to respond and carried him to the Whitewater Township Firehouse No. 105. Sergeant Mondary died before the helicopter arrived, but he was flown to University Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:43 p.m. by Dr. Cunningham.
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