DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) – Police are investigating after a man was found dead floating in a Daytona Beach waterway over the weekend, according to WESH.
A jet skier reportedly spotted the man’s body floating in the river, just north of the Main Street bridge, shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday. The man was later identified as 48-year-old Brian Sauder. He was reported to have a local address.
When first responders arrived, they entered the river by boat and brought Sauder to a nearby dock, where he was pronounced dead.
“I’m seeing a floating body. He’s face down,” a 911 caller said.
Police still do not know what happened to him or why, but a police report obtained by WESH stated Sauder was found covered in scratches. In the report, police noted “two scratches on the victim’s left arm. A scratch on (his) face (and some) blood on his face.”
Despite this, police say there are “no other obvious signs of trauma per the medical examiner,” according to WESH. Police are awaiting toxicology results to help determine Sauder’s cause of death.
Around 4 a.m., hours before the body was spotted and recovered, a man was fishing from the Main Street bridge and flagged an officer to report that he heard someone screaming for help.
Authorities searched for more than an hour on foot, using a drone, and even called in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials to help assist, but found nothing, according to WESH.
At this time, it’s unclear if the earlier incident is connected. Police are also not calling this case suspicious, WESH stated. For now, officials are calling it a death investigation.