Ohio River flood: Man dives in

Late Tuesday night, Northern Kentucky University student Nick Montag did something that is neither recommended by local health officials, nor understood by this newsroom's staff:

He went for a swim in the Ohio River at Smale Park where it had overflowed its banks.

On Tuesday, the 23-year-old resident of Highland Heights, Kentucky, donned turquoise swim trunks and announced on SnapChat that he was going to play in the river.

With his friend Connor Raye, a fellow NKU student, holding the camera, Montag dove into the overflowing river just west of the Roebling Bridge.

"To be honest, I thought to myself, "It won't get this high again for a while, so hey, carpe diem," Montag said when asked what motivated him to dive into the river.

Montag described his river swimming technique as a combination of backstroke and breaststroke.

The water was "super cold," but he didn't realize that during times of heavy rainfall and flooding that raw sewage can be discharged into the river: "I was not aware. That is pretty gross."

Yes. Yes, it is.

Still, he said that he was glad he dove into the river. He just isn't sure he would do it again.

A public service announcement: Health departments throughout the area would like to remind residents that floodwater can contain infectious organisms.

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More: Why does the Ohio River flood when it's not raining?