Swansea man found dead in drainage pond near Centralia
The body of a Swansea man was found in a drainage pond near a Best Western Motel in Clinton County on Sunday, according to Centralia Police.
According to a release, the Centralia Fire Department brought a boat to the scene and, after a 45-minute search, located the man’s body beneath the water.
On Monday, Clinton County Coroner Phillip Moss identified the man as Jeffrey R. Downs, 37, of Swansea. Moss said the cause of death was pending investigation.
The Centralia Police Department was initially called to the Best Western Motel in Centralia at approximately 10 a.m. Sunday on the report of a missing/endangered person. Family members called out of concern that they had not had any contact with Downs, who had been staying at the hotel since Friday night, police said.
Family members told police that Downs had been experiencing mental health issues, that they were worried for his safety, and that they went to the hotel Sunday morning to find him, according to the release.
The family consulted hotel management, which was able to provide video surveillance footage showing Downs walking toward a drainage pond north of the hotel late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Centralia Police Department dispatched officers, who found a jacket belonging to Downs in the pond, police said, which led to the search for his body.
Investigators from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department and the Clinton County coroner responded to the scene as the pond is located approximately 150 feet outside city limits of Centralia.
Foul play is not suspected, but a full autopsy will be scheduled, police said.
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 1:21 PM.
