Daytona Beach, FL – Officers find a 72-year-old man dead in the Halifax River with one of his hands attached to a crab trap.
The Daytona Beach Police Department strung crime scene tape around a section of the Halifax Rowing facility at City Island soon after the body was found around 12:30 PM Monday. That section – which includes the facility’s pier – is just north of the Volusia County Courthouse Annex.
DBPD Chief Mike Chitwood says the owners of a local seafood restaurant found the body in the middle of the river between the Orange Avenue and International Speedway Boulevard bridges.
“A local fisherman was out checking his crab pots,” Chitwood added. “He was pulling his crab pots [and] sees an arm or hand attached to one of those pots.”
It was at that point when the fisherman called police, per Chitwood.
A Volusia County Sheriff’s Office marine unit was called out to investigate and found the body soon after arriving on scene.
The body has since been brought to shore wrapped in yellow tarp and police are investigating, though Chitwood said the death doesn’t appear to be suspicious at this time.
Chitwood also noted that police were able to identify the body and noted that the victim may be homeless, but wouldn’t be able to say for sure if that’s the case until the investigation is complete.
DBPD hasn’t released the man’s name at this time pending next of kin notification, but did note that he was found fully clothed in the water with money and identity in his pocket.
Investigators think he was in the water for around 8 hours before he was found.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.