Miami County Sheriff warns against people turning to Ludlow Falls with pools closed

LUDLOW FALLS — The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is concerned people will turn to dangerous water activities with the weather getting warmer and some pools planning to not open due to COVID-19.

Nine new signs were installed at Ludlow Falls to warn people to stay out of the water.

Sheriff Dave Duchak says it’s a problem that has gotten worse in recent years, but he is worried that more people will come without regular pools being an option.

“Two weekends ago when it got warmer deputies already got their first calls out here," explained Sheriff Duchak. "Now is the time to get the signs in place and get the word out.”

Sheriff Duchak says the signs have previously been vandalized or stolen over the years. They average about 40 or 50 calls a year of people swimming in this water.

It has been illegal to swim at Ludlow Falls for years, but it is also very dangerous. A 19 year old died in August last year after cliff diving there.

“We just don’t want to have any more," said Sheriff Duchak. "These are young healthy people. Again that undertow and if you get caught up in some of that debris, no matter how good of a swimmer are you’re not going to make it out of there.”

The sheriff encourages people to take in the nature and beauty of the falls but warns that there have been multiple drownings there.

He said deputies try to make regular checks of the area and will continue to issue citations to people found to be swimming there.

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