Body appears in front of two people canoeing in scenic Florida river, sheriff says

A trip down Florida’s scenic Withlacoochee River turned grisly for two outdoors enthusiasts, when they encountered a heavily decomposed body, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.

The discovery was made around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, near Dade City, about 40 miles northeast of Tampa, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Investigators say a man living along the river called to report the body.

“Deputies met with the caller ... who advised while in his back yard, he was flagged down by two individuals who were canoeing down the river. The individuals in the canoe told the caller they spotted a body in the river,” the sheriff’s office said.

“With the use of an airboat (Hernando County Fire Rescue), the individual was removed from the water and transported to the shore. ... The body had been in the water for some time, as it was in the advanced stages of decomposition.”

The victim, an adult male, has been identified, but his name is not being released, officials said.

Foul play was involved in his death and detectives have leads in their investigation, Sheriff Al Nienhuis said in an update. A cause of death has not been revealed.

Investigators say the two canoeists who found the body left the area shortly after reporting it to the homeowner. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted the sheriff’s office in an attempt to find them but it was unsuccessful, officials said.

“The HCSO Marine Unit also responded to the area with an airboat to conduct a search of the riverbank for any evidence related to the death,” officials said.

“Detectives have been in contact with both the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, as the area in question is just a few feet from the Pasco County line.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2023 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Body appears in front of two people canoeing in scenic Florida river, sheriff says."