GRANDVILLE, Mich. — The Walker Police Department (WPD) said early Friday morning that a body was found in the Grand River matching the description of someone who drowned earlier in the week.
First responders say someone went into the Grand River, between Johnson and Millennium parks, Tuesday morning.
Witnesses say the person came up for air and went back underwater.
By Tuesday evening, the water rescue had become a recovery effort.
READ MORE: Grand River water rescue in Walker now a recovery effort
Just after midnight Friday, Walker police gave an update on the recovery effort.
The department says around 2:30 Thursday afternoon the Kent County Marine Patrol continued to search for the victim’s body.
Just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Walker PD learned a body had been found in the water just west of the Indian Mounds boat launch in the city of Grandville.
The Kent County Dive Team, along with the Walker PD Drone Team, responded to recover the body, which we’re told matches the description of the man from the original drowning report.
WPD has since identified the body as 49-year-old Darryll LaJuane Heyward from Grand Rapids. His death was ruled an accidental drowning following an autopsy by the Kent County Medical Examiner.
