COLUMBUS, GA – A routine fishing trip on the Chattahoochee River took a grim turn on Tuesday evening when a fisherman reeled in a human body, as confirmed by Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan. The incident occurred around 5 p.m., when a group of men stumbled upon the macabre discovery while fishing.
This marked a first in Bryan’s 12-year tenure as a coroner, where a fisherman had hooked a body and brought it ashore. Bryan humorously noted that the fisherman must have initially thought he had landed a record-breaking catfish.
Local authorities are now seeking public assistance to identify the deceased man. Bryan expressed his belief that someone must know the man, urging those with any information to come forward.
The body is suspected to belong to a homeless man who allegedly jumped into the river on February 7. According to Bryan, the area is infamous for drownings, and the man was possibly under the influence of drugs and was found unclothed.
The identity of the man was partially confirmed by Columbus police officers who had responded to the incident two weeks ago. Bryan stated that the body was identified as a Caucasian male, likely in his mid to late 50s, with a distinctive cross tattoo on his shoulder blade measuring approximately 3 inches in height and width.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the death has been ruled as an accidental drowning. Bryan clarified that it was not a suicide and he did not believe the man drowned intentionally.
The body is set to be moved to the county morgue rather than a crime lab. If the man remains unidentified within three days, Bryan stated that he would be legally obligated to bury him in a pauper’s grave. Bryan urged the public to come forward with any information, as he believes it is important for the community to be aware of the situation.