Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
An Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter came to the city to perform an aerial search for James Donofrio, the missing owner of the Avalon Gardens bar and restaurant, but a strong river current kept search divers away from the Mahoning River on Sunday.
“You can’t fight that current,” said Capt. William Hack, commander of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office dive team, which last searched the river on Thursday between the Market Street and South Avenue bridges.
If the rain stops and the river level falls, Hack said he hopes divers can return to the water today or Tuesday.
When the current is fast, divers are swept along with it and can’t thoroughly examine everything in the river, Hack said. The river is filled with debris, including tree branches and litter, he observed. “We pulled a safe out Thursday,” Hack said.
“There’s so much debris in there that he could be snagged on anything” if he is in the river, Hack said of Donofrio.
Donofrio, 64, of Boardman, has been missing since he didn’t show up as scheduled at the Avalon Gardens to close the establishment on Sept. 25.
Early on Sept. 26, a railroad employee spotted a man resembling Donofrio along the river bank, and Donofrio’s SUV was found under the Market Street bridge.
Search and rescue dogs and a fire department boat assisted in the search last week.
Comments
Why wasn't an aerial search done in the first couple of days? 8 days later?? I am upset about this....and the weather will be a factor too now. I hope your OK Jimmy!
is this a place he would visit or is it unual for him to be in this area
Tania
Very unusual. I went down there last Monday to help and it was the first time in 55 years in Ytown I had ever been down there.
they just said no foul play was involved and i was curios why he would even be in that area
Because this is the area where his vehicle was found with his wallet and cell phone, etc inside and a train conductor stated a man fitting his description was seen there.
Did the conductor see any loan sharks near the river too??
I'm just wondering if he had more blackouts than he told the family... or if he was fighting depression more than he was telling his family. Very sad and I hope they find him soon for his family. And when the conductor saw him on the tracks who says there wasn't someone forcing him in the shadows to walk those tracks just all too suspicious.
Did they ever find Jimmy?
Was James Donofrio a victim of the underworld because he knew too much and was being difficult ?
Another mystery in Youngstown