THUNDER BAY – A male body was found in the McIntyre River late Thursday afternoon but police aren’t saying whether it is connected to the disappearance of 14-year-old Josiah Begg.
The OPP underwater search and recovery unit located the body in the river between Simpson Street and Island Drive just before 6 p.m., Thunder Bay Police Service Staff Sgt. Ryan Hughes confirmed.
A media release issued just after 10 p.m. confirmed the body was that of a male, though police say the identity has not yet been confirmed.
Police vehicles were seen parked along the walking path on the south bank of the river behind the Slovak Legion and the baseball diamonds on Atlantic Drive. Both sides of the riverbank from Island Drive west towards the immediate scene were cordoned off with crime scene tape and officers could be seen searching the north bank. The forensic identification unit and criminal investigations branch are continuing to investigate, according to the media release.
Hughes said police have informed the family of the missing teen that a body has been found but it has not yet been identified. A crowd of people were gathering throughout the evening at the river just off Island Drive.
The body has been removed and an autopsy will be conducted, Hughes added, though he said he wasn’t sure when and where it will happen.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
