Crews Searching for Missing Swimmer in Niagara River

Male Body Recovered from East Branch of Niagara River

BY Brandon Lewis Grand Island

UPDATED 12:22 PM ET Jul. 29, 2020 PUBLISHED 6:42 PM ET Jul. 28, 2020 PUBLISHED 6:42 PM EDT Jul. 28, 2020

The team assembled to search for a missing swimmer in the east branch of the Niagara River recovered a male victim Wednesday, according to Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard.

The Erie County Sheriff’s Office said two men entered the water from a Grand Island dock and tried to swim to a bridge pylon Tuesday afternoon. At some point, one of the swimmers noticed the other was no longer visible.

#UPDATE: @ECSONY1 confirms they’ve recovered a man’s body from the water. The body will be sent over to the medical examiner for an autopsy and identification. https://t.co/iZSRO3LYro
— Brandon Lewis (@BrandonNewsTV) July 29, 2020

Search teams located and recovered the individual at around 11 a.m. Wednesday downriver from the Grand Island bridges.

“The victim was turned over to the medical examiner for an autopsy and proper identification,” according to a statement from the sheriff.

The sheriff thanked the agencies involved in the collaborative effort: Grand Island Fire Company, New York State Police, City of Tonawanda Police Department, Buffalo Police Department, Town of Tonawanda fire agencies, Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Border Patrol.