MILLBURY, Ohio — Fifteen years ago, on June 5, 2010 , Edward H. Blank and his wife, Julie, were hosting a birthday party for their son, Casey. The sun had set on what began as a calm June evening with overcast skies, mild weather and kids laughing in the backyard pool.

“We had like 35 kids here for a party that night,” Julie recalled. “They had all been here swimming, and they all went home except for his best friend, who was staying the night.”

Edward said the day felt uneventful.

“It was really kind of a calm day,” he said. He had even spent part of it playing in a golf outing.

But as night fell, weather alerts started coming in. Julie and the kids headed to the basement. Edward lingered upstairs, sitting on the front porch with a beer until he heard something that made his heart s

See Full Page