UPDATED: Body found in Thunder Bay River | News, Sports, Jobs
ALPENA — Police recovered a woman’s body from the Thunder Bay River in Alpena shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday.
Police have identified the woman but are not releasing her name, pending notification of the family, Alpena Police Chief Joel Jett said.
Jett said the woman was elderly and from the Alpena area.
Police do not yet know the cause of death but said they believe the woman was only in the water a short time before she was discovered.
Jett declined to comment on whether police suspect foul play, citing the ongoing police investigation.
When handling a loss in the community, police have to approach both their investigation and the information they release carefully, Jett said.
A city worker checking irrigation systems in Washington Avenue Park discovered the woman, face down in the water and unresponsive, after spotting a bright piece of clothing, according to Jett.
The employee jumped into the water and pulled the woman onto the river bank near the Alpena Bi-Path while co-workers called 911.
The workers performed CPR on the woman until the arrival of paramedics, who were not able to revive the woman.
Police will continue to investigate the death, Jett said.
Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.