Body found by a Columbia River fisherman was a woman

The body discovered Tuesday afternoon by a fisherman near the cable bridge in Kennewick was an adult woman, according to investigators.

Her body was found in the Columbia River east of the bridge shortly before 1 p.m.

It’s unclear how long her body had been in the river, or how she died.

No other information was released Wednesday by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

One initial report said the body was discovered inside a bag, but officials have not confirmed that.

Columbia Dive Rescue along with Benton County sheriff’s deputies and the coroner’s office helped pull her body from the river.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner Office conducted the autopsy, but the cause of her death has not been determined, said officials.

A release from the sheriff’s office said detectives and coroner officials are taking steps to identify her.

Anyone with possible information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 509-735-6555.

This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 7:22 PM.