Body found in river near Missouri Dry Dock in Cape; not yet known if foul play involved

Cape Girardeau first responders recovered the body of a South Carolina man from the Mississippi River on Thursday.

Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said authorities have identified the man who was found and were notifying the man’s family.

Clifton said the victim is a white man from South Carolina, but he did not want to reveal his age Thursday.

Cape Girardeau County Coronor John Clifton stands at the edge of the boat ramp as he waits for members of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department to dock at Red Star Access on Thursday afternoon.LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com

Clifton said the cause of death would be determined through an autopsy at 1 p.m. today.

A Missouri Dry Dock and Repair worker spotted the man’s body in the Mississippi River just south of the dry dock and north of the old mill about 2 p.m. Thursday, Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Fred Vincel said.

The fire department was called to the scene at 2:02 p.m. Thursday.

The man’s body was entangled in brush along the Missouri shore, Vincel said.

The department used the smaller of its two rescue boats to recover the body.

Clifton said Thursday afternoon he had received indications the body was in the river for multiple days before it was recovered by fire rescue, but he added he had not seen the body yet.

Cape Girardeau police examined the location where the body was found and collected evidence, public-information officer Richard McCall said.

If the person is determined to have entered the river from outside Cape Girardeau police’s jurisdiction, there most likely will be a dual investigation, McCall said.

Police were not sure whether foul play was involved.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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