Body of missing 55-year-old fisherman found days after disappearance in Youghiogheny River
The body of a missing fisherman has been found, according to police.
Pennsylvania State Police said kayakers found the body of 55-year-old Jerry Grimm under the Route 819 bridge between Dawson and Dickerson Run in Dunbar Township. No foul play is suspected.
Search crews began looking for Grimm on Wednesday night when he was first reported missing after he went wading into the Youghiogheny River.
Witnesses told police that they had lost sight of Grimm when he went around a bend, and that is where first responders and search parties focused their search this week.
"Witnesses described the male being in one position, and then essentially started to move down river, and unfortunately, with the way that the river flows, there's a bend when it reaches the Crawford Avenue Bridge, and they unfortunately lost sight of him at that point," Connellsville Police Sergeant Bryan Kendi said.
On Wednesday, crews utilized boats, divers, and air support to search for Grimm.
The search was expected to continue on Thursday, but according to the New Haven Hose Company and Connellsville Police, they made the decision to suspend the search, saying that Wednesday's search yielded no results or sightings.
Risks on the Yough River
Prior to Grimm's disappearance, public safety officials had been warning people to exercise caution on the Yough River.
Just over a week ago, an experienced kayaker drowned in the Yough River. And earlier this month, three kayakers also had to be rescued when water levels were even higher.
"Weeks previous to this, we've had a lot of rain. The occupancy dam is just a few miles up the river. They are letting water out. It's causing the current to increase. And even though it's a nice sunny day, the water is up. The current is moving faster than normal, and it becomes a hazard for anybody who's going to go into this water," Kendi said.
