It may take some time before authorities can identify the body of a man who was found Tuesday afternoon in the Missouri River in Jefferson City.
According to Jefferson City Fire Department Spokesman Jason Turner, the initial call came at 2:39 p.m. from bystanders at the Noren Access reporting there was a body in the river.
A few minutes later the Jefferson City Fire Department arrived on the scene and launched one of their boats.
The boat went north of the bridge and about five minutes later fire fighters were in contact with the persons who had spotted the body.
They led the firemen to the body and they were able to bring it ashore.
Corporal Scott White with the Missouri Highway Patrol said they believe this is a person they were first notified about around 8 p.m. Monday night near Rocheport.
That search ended around 10:45 p.m. due to bad weather moving through the area.
Tuesday morning the search resumed, starting at the Marion River Access and eventually it ended with the body found in Jefferson City.
It is unknown how long the body of the white male had been in the water, but there was a "certain stage of decomposition."
"It was actually floating down the river, it wasn't caught up in debris," White said. "From the spot where he was first observed Monday night, the body traveled 43 miles. The flow of the river is approximately five mph."
White could not say if there was any signs of foul play, but they would be looking at that possibility.
"There have not been any recent reports of missing persons in this area, but we will be looking at past missing person reports," he said. "You have to remember the Missouri River and Missouri River basin covers thousands of miles."
EARLIER COVERAGE
Authorities recovered a man's body Tuesday afternoon from the Missouri River near the Noren Access.
No identity has been made. Authorities said the man appeared to have been dead for awhile, but did not suggest how long ago he died.
Jefferson City Fire Department spokesman Jason Turner confirmed that the body was recovered after someone in the area called 911 about 2:39 p.m.
Officials believe the body was the same one that Boone County authorities and the Highway Patrol's Water Division searched for Monday night near Rocheport.
Both local fire and police departments responded to the Noren Access Tuesday.
Turner said the Patrol's Water Division will take the lead on the investigation.