Coroner: Body in river one of two who jumped from Eads Bridge
The body recovered in the Mississippi River early Friday morning is believed to be one of the two people seen jumping from the Eads Bridge earlier this month, according to St. Clair County Coroner Rick Stone.
“We’re still piecing things together,” Stone said. “But I believe that is the case.”
Stone would not release the identity of the person recovered because relatives have not yet been reached. But he said the person had a last known address in Phoenix, Ariz.
A rescue crew on Friday morning recovered a body spotted about a mile south of the Poplar Street Bridge.
The body was spotted late Thursday by a crew member of a barge tow. It was among logs and other debris swept down river by recent flooding.
The effort to recover the body was suspended Thursday because of heavy barge traffic. Authorities said they would also be able to get special equipment to the area Friday, when fewer barges were expected to be on the river.
After investigating the case, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Matt Marler said it was discovered that four people initially planned to jump from the Eads Bridge. The two who decided not to go through with it reported the jump to a security guard on duty at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis.
Rescuers searched with boats and a helicopter for the jumpers without success.
Marler said Friday afternoon that the Coast Guard’s search continues. He said that neither Coast Guard investigators nor St. Louis Metropolitan Police detectives working the case have been able to locate the other two men who first reported the jump for interviews.
Contact reporter Scott Wuerz at swuerz@bnd.com or 618-239-2626. Follow him on Twitter: @scottwuerzBND.
This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 7:02 AM with the headline "Coroner: Body in river one of two who jumped from Eads Bridge."