‘I was sick’: Friends respond to death of missing woman who drowned in Ohio River

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Friends of Miriam Hope, the missing woman whose body was pulled out of the Ohio River, are reacting to her death.

Nicky Wright said Hope was a kind-hearted, loving and honest friend who was like a sister to her.

Louisville Metro police issued an Operation Return Home for the 42-year-old woman on Thursday after she was reported missing from the 3900 block of Accomack Drive in east Louisville.

Officials said Hope was in need of medical attention and may have been struggling with a psychological episode.

On Saturday, Louisville first responders pulled a body from the Ohio River near the area of the Big Four Bridge and the Waterfront.

The victim was later identified on Sunday as Hope.

Wright said Hope’s family took her in as their own when she was 14 years old. She said they were inseparable ever since.

She watched Hope become a mother, raising three boys.

”I am a lot older than Miriam,” Wright said. “But I always saw her as my sister and her kids as my nephew and nieces.”

Wright said she hadn’t seen Hope in a while, but knew she struggled with her mental health. She said the last time she saw her, she seemed happy, which is why she was shocked to hear how police found her.

“I was sick,” Wright said. “Just absolutely sick.”

The coroner said Hope’s cause of death is consistent with drowning, but the manner is undetermined at this time.

David Houvenagle is a licensed Clinical Social Worker at UofL. He said signs people should look out for if they know someone might be struggling with their mental health include sadness, having less energy and showing less interest in the things they enjoy.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. For more information, click or tap here.

For more on how to donate to help Hope’s family, click or tap here.

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