PATTERSON -- Wayne County officials have identified a man found dead Monday in the St. Francis River, but his name and other information will not be released until after a Tuesday morning autopsy, according to Sheriff Dean Finch.
The approximately 50-year-old male was found face down in the water just below the Highway 34 bridge, Finch said. A boater called authorities at 4 p.m., he said.
"I'm not releasing any information until after the autopsy," Finch said. "We'll know more after that. ...We know who he is."
An autopsy was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. by Dr. Russell Deidiker in Farmington.
A recreation area managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is located on the south side of the Highway 34 bridge. It includes a parking lot and sandy beach area used for swimming and other activities.
The location is three miles east of Patterson and approximately three miles south of Sam A. Baker State Park.