ALTOONA — Authorities are working to identify a body discovered Friday in the Eau Claire River in Altoona, in an area where three people have been reported missing in the past month.
The body was pulled from the river by members of the Eau Claire and Altoona Fire Departments, according to the Eau Claire Leader Telegram. A kayaker disovered the body early Friday and alerted police.
In the past month, Brenden Felton, Blake Mares and Byron Reece have all been reported in Eau Claire, four miles from Altoona.
Family members reported Mares, 23, missing on Nov. 5, several days after he fled from a traffic stop on Eau Claire’s far east side.
Felton, 25, was last seen Oct. 28 in downtown Eau Claire, walking north on First Avenue from Lake Street. Police said Felton’s phone is off, goes straight to voice mail when called and has no recorded activity since 10:28 p.m. Oct. 28.
UW-Eau Claire police are conducting a missing person investigation involving Reece, 33, whose personal property was found in Putnam Park on Nov. 10. Reese is not a student at UW-Eau Claire and is not affiliated with the school in any way.
Just days ago, the search group Rapid Search and Rescue sent 18 volunteers to search for the missing men. The group was joined by law enforcement, using GPS, horses and canines to assist in the search.
