As a fisherman, you expect to reel in large and unusual catches, but a group of men fishing on the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia had a shocking discovery on Tuesday evening.
Pulling up their lines, one of the fishermen hooked and reeled in a man’s body.
The Muscogee County Coroner, Buddy Bryan, shared in an interview that in his 12 years on the job, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. The fisherman, who wishes to remain anonymous, immediately called the authorities.
“In 12 years, this is the first time that I’ve had a fisherman hook a body and bring it to shore,” Bryan said. “This guy probably thought he had caught the biggest catfish ever.”
Upon further investigation, it is believed that the body is that of a likely homeless man who had reportedly jumped into the river on February 7th. Bryan stated that it was clear the man was having some issues and was likely under the influence of drugs.
“Officers got called out to this area, which is notorious for people drowning. This guy was having some issue, was probably high on meth or something from the way he was acting. He was also naked,” Bryan said.
The body was identified based on a distinct cross tattoo on the man’s shoulder blade, which was noted by Columbus police officers who had responded to a call 13 days prior of a man jumping into the river. The body was found nearly two weeks later.
Bryan confirmed that the man’s death was an accidental drowning and not a suicide. He also noted that the body will not be sent to a crime lab but will instead go to the county morgue. If not identified within three days, the man will be buried in a pauper’s grave as per the law.
“It was not suicide, this was an accidental death. He drowned, and I don’t think it was on purpose either,” Bryan said.
“We were able to identify him as a Caucasian male probably in his mid and late 50s. We were able to roll him over and identify him as the guy from two weeks ago because of his cross tattoo on his shoulder blade. It’s about 3 inches tall and 3 inches wide,” said Bryan.
Bryan is urging the public’s help in identifying the man. He believes that someone must know this individual and is asking them to come forward. With the body being linked to a call that was made two weeks prior, Bryan feels that the citizens of Columbus have the right to know and is encouraging anyone with information to speak up.
“Somebody’s got to know this guy, they’ve got to know him,” Bryan said.
