DAWSON, Pa. — A man was found dead on the riverbank of the Youghiogheny River Sunday night.
Now, investigators say they are working to find out who he is and where he came from.
“The state police are doing their criminal investigation, and we are working on finding out who this individual is and the cause and manner of their death,” said Fayette County Coroner Bob Baker. “So, there is kind of a joint investigation going on.”
Baker said two fishermen found the man’s body along the river. Although the cause of death is still unclear, the State Police Criminal Investigations Unit is not ruling anything out.
“There were no visual signs of foul play that we can see or identify from the scene,” said Baker.
He said the man was found with no ID, no wallet, no phone and no fishing or hiking equipment.
He said the man was bald with zero facial hair and had a tattoo of a large mountain range on his right shoulder blade.
The man was wearing a burnt orange Mountain Hardware Jacket, black diamond grey pants and brown and green size eight Muck boots.
The man is estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 182 pounds.
Baker said it is difficult to determine how long the man had been dead because of the cold temperatures in the Youghiogheny River.
“So, preservation of the body is going to be a little different than if it were in very hot weather and so forth. So it’s very hard at this time to determine, but it does not appear to be a lengthy amount of time,” explained Baker.
State police said the man’s features do not match any of the missing persons’ reports in the Greater Pittsburgh area or in West Virginia. Baker said the river plays a major role in the investigation. With the significant amount of ice on the river this year, the water levels were higher. He said they’ve only recently receded along the Youghiogheny.
“That river would start in Maryland, continue through various areas, and you’re talking class four-class five rapids that we’ve had calls in that area,” said Baker. “The water continues down through Dawson.”
Baker said they are currently working on making a DNA card and the coroner’s preliminary report should be complete within the next 24 hours. A final report could take months.
If you know any information or recognize the description of the man, you are asked to call the Fayette County coroner’s office by calling 724-430-1270.
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