Body of drowning victim found in Des Moines River, police say

Des Moines police say they have found the body of a suspected drowning victim they began searching for Friday morning.

Police spokesman Sergeant Paul Parizek said Des Moines police and firefighters found the man’s body shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday while investigating a report that a body was floating in the Des Moines River at the Southeast Sixth Street Bridge near the mouth of the Raccoon River.

Des Moines police detectives and the Polk County coroner’s office are continuing the investigation into the death of the man who was struggling in the Raccoon River near Southwest Second Street around 10:50 a.m. Friday. Witnesses reported that the person went under and did not resurface, Parizek said.

The police Metro STAR Dive Team and the fire department’s Water Emergency Team searched for the suspected drowning victim, but had to abandon their efforts several hours later due to the high flow rate of water and debris.

The man’s name and age were not released and no further details were given about how he ended up in the river.