Updated: Crews find body of man swept away in Kentucky River after days of searching
On Monday, rescue crews found the body of a man who was swept away in the Kentucky River last week, the Jessamine County coroner confirmed.
Elder Ariel Martinez-Palma, a 29-year-old Lexington resident, was found Monday morning after he went missing Thursday night, coroner Michael Hughes said. He was found around 10 a.m. An autopsy was performed Tuesday morning, but the presumed cause of death was drowning, he said.
Rescue crews searched for Martinez-Palma in the Kentucky River after he disappeared at Lock 7 in Jessamine County, said Johnny Adams, director of Jessamine County Emergency Management. Rescuers believe he got in the river to swim Thursday night, but the current pulled him under and downstream, Adams said.
Authorities responded to the 911 call around 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Adams said.
One of the man’s friends jumped in to try to help him, but he couldn’t find him before the friend went back to the river bank downstream, Adams said.
The Jessamine County Fire Department and the Nicholasville Police Department were among the agencies who helped look for the man. Mercer County and Woodford County crews assisted, Adams said. The Lexington Fire Department was also dispatched to the area Friday.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 7:40 AM.