Unidentified woman found dead in Yough
DUNBAR TWP. — The Fayette County Coroner’s Office or police have yet to identify a woman found dead in the middle of the Youghiogheny River Saturday.
According to emergency responders, a group of rafters spotted the body at about 9:45 a.m. Initially, it was reported that the location was between Vanderbilt and Dawson, but she was located in the vicinity of Riverside Drive in the township by rescuers.
A boat was used to recover the body.
Fayette County Deputy Coroner Ross Rock pronounced the woman dead at the scene at about 12:15 p.m.
Connellsville and state police along with personnel from Connellsville Township, New Haven Hose, South Connellsville, Morrell, Vanderbilt and Dawson scoured the riverbank from Connellsville to Adelaide, but found no personal belongings that might have identified the woman, said rescuers.
“We did not find anything,” said an unidentified first responder.
The woman’s body was covered and the area cordoned off while a Washington County forensic team responded to the scene.
Several rafts and kayaks passed by the area during the course of the investigation, but were kept at a distance.
“It was a great day to be on the river and a lot of people were out,” said the first responder.
Roger Victor, Fayette County Coroner’s Office chief field investigator, police and firefighters recovered the woman’s body from the river.
There was no information as to whether there was any foul play.
A coroner’s office spokeswoman said that there would be no information released until later today.
Fayette EMS also assisted at the scene.