A 47-year-old man who was swimming with friends in the Hocking River, went under yesterday afternoon and drowned.

Ray Eblin of Nelsonville was swimming with another adult and two juveniles when it happened. They saw him jump off a bridge into water 3 to 5 feet deep. He struggled drifted about 100 yards downriver where he became lodged in river debris.

Due to the river's current, the area was unsafe for rescuers to reach him quickly. The Athens County coroner pronounced him dead on the scene. The cause was a fractured neck and subsequent drowning. He had been drinking prior to the accident and officials believe that was a contributing factor.