Sewickley Township man died after being pulled into storm drain

A 38-year-old Sewickley Township man died Saturday evening after being pulled into a storm drain following heavy rains that swept across the region.

Rescue crews from several fire departments responded to the incident on Clay Pike in Herminie at about 5:30 p.m., when Nathan D. Roth’s wife called 911, a Westmoreland County dispatch shift commander said.

Roth was attempting to clear the drain, emergency officials said.

“He got it unclogged, but then the rush of the water took him down with it,” the 911 shift commander said.

Rescue crews from Murrysville, Sutersville, Greensburg and North Huntingdon responded to the scene.

“There was a large pool of water that had collected after the rainstorms,” said Shane Spielvogle, executive director for North Huntingdon EMS/Rescue. “Some of that appeared to be getting pulled into a drainage pipe. Because of the storms and high, fast water, it was a pretty dangerous combination.”

Spielvogle said Roth was pulled into a drain pipe roughly 4 feet in diameter.

“It was something we had to take very seriously but also move deliberately with,” he said.

Roth was located about 40 minutes after searching began, Spielvogle said.