Christian Hallam and a friend were rafting on the Olentangy River on Saturday morning when they were pulled into the low-head dam, located near Fifth Avenue, 10TV's Glenn McEntyre reported.

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Hallam was not able to escape the dam's churning water.

Rescue workers who took part in the weekend's events said low-rise dams pose a serious safety hazard.

"Basically the theory of your home dryer system," said Columbus police Sgt. Jeff Sacksteder. "It just keeps tumbling and you just go back into the same rotation and it takes forever to get out of it."

City administrators said the dams are also bad for the ecosystem, which is part of the reason why the city has plans to remove the Fifth Avenue dam altogether, McEntyre reported.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers, removing the dam is a high priority, but it has been unable to secure the $1.2 million in federal funds needed to pay for removal.

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Previous Stories:

June 8, 2008: Body Of Missing Rafter Found In River
June 7, 2008: Man Thrown From Raft; Missing In Olentangy River

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