Body found in Columbia River near boat launch. Pasco officials still not sure who he is

Officials are looking for help identifying a man found dead last week in the Columbia River near the Pasco Boat Basin.

Two men fishing from their kayaks noticed the body floating in the water near the basin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, said Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary.

It appeared that he had been in the water for a few days before being discovered.

McGary said the autopsy showed he likely died of natural causes, but officials haven’t been able to identify him.

They believe he was a homeless man who was seen in the area around the boat launch, but those who saw him never learned his name.

He was described as being in his late 20s or early 30s, 5-foot-7 and about 150 pounds with a reddish beard.

Anyone with any information about the man or know of someone who is missing is asked to call the Franklin County Coroner’s Office at 509-546-5885.

Pasco police and the coroner’s office also are pursuing other ways to identify the man, including submitting fingerprints to national databases and using dental records, McGary said.