hd&boatrider
04-28-2004, 10:45 AM
Body of man found in river
By MICA THOMAS MULLOY
BULLHEAD CITY -- A bright-orange sunset across the glimmering Colorado River turned into a horrific investigation scene early Tuesday evening when a body was found just below the surface of the water.
At about 6 p.m., just more than 15 minutes after the call for help came out, a Bullhead City Fire Department water rescue team pulled a deceased male out of the chilly water approximately 25 yards from the Community Park boat ramp.
Brian Matthiesen, a Washington resident in town to visit family, said he had just put his personal watercraft in the river when he made a gruesome discovery.
"In circling around I saw something light colored in the water," Matthiesen said. "At first I thought it was some trash or something like that but it was really big. I looked a little bit closer and it was the shape of a body."
Lou Knott, a Michigan resident, said he was just up the beach when he heard someone yell, "body in the water" and everyone ran to scene. Bullhead City police public information officer Carrie Conner said at least one witness reported seeing the man swimming in the water between a half hour and one hour before the call was received -- a statement that could prove key in the investigation.
"At this point it is still being investigated as though it was a homicide; we investigate every death as though it's a homicide," Conner said at the scene. "But right now we do have a witness that leads us to believe that it may have been a drowning."
Conner also said that despite early witness statements, the man was not wrapped in a chain of any type. However, we was clothed and reportedly had a wallet with a small chain on it.
Police may have already identified the man.
"At this point in time we believe we think we may know who he is but obviously we can't say at this point," she said.
Matthiesen loaded his watercraft back onto a trailer and canceled his evening on the water.
"It was one of those things, once you see it you can't believe that you're seeing it," he said.
By MICA THOMAS MULLOY
BULLHEAD CITY -- A bright-orange sunset across the glimmering Colorado River turned into a horrific investigation scene early Tuesday evening when a body was found just below the surface of the water.
At about 6 p.m., just more than 15 minutes after the call for help came out, a Bullhead City Fire Department water rescue team pulled a deceased male out of the chilly water approximately 25 yards from the Community Park boat ramp.
Brian Matthiesen, a Washington resident in town to visit family, said he had just put his personal watercraft in the river when he made a gruesome discovery.
"In circling around I saw something light colored in the water," Matthiesen said. "At first I thought it was some trash or something like that but it was really big. I looked a little bit closer and it was the shape of a body."
Lou Knott, a Michigan resident, said he was just up the beach when he heard someone yell, "body in the water" and everyone ran to scene. Bullhead City police public information officer Carrie Conner said at least one witness reported seeing the man swimming in the water between a half hour and one hour before the call was received -- a statement that could prove key in the investigation.
"At this point it is still being investigated as though it was a homicide; we investigate every death as though it's a homicide," Conner said at the scene. "But right now we do have a witness that leads us to believe that it may have been a drowning."
Conner also said that despite early witness statements, the man was not wrapped in a chain of any type. However, we was clothed and reportedly had a wallet with a small chain on it.
Police may have already identified the man.
"At this point in time we believe we think we may know who he is but obviously we can't say at this point," she said.
Matthiesen loaded his watercraft back onto a trailer and canceled his evening on the water.
"It was one of those things, once you see it you can't believe that you're seeing it," he said.