Body found of man who went missing in Somerset on Taunton River boat trip

Somerset Fire Chief Jamison Barros regrets to report that, as the result of a coordinated search involving multiple public-safety agencies, the body of a man who was reported missing was recovered from the Taunton River on Sunday.

At about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Somerset Fire Department received information from the Somerset Harbor Master that a man had taken a dinghy onto the river from the Somerset Yacht Club on Gay Street at about 5 p.m. on Friday, but had not returned.

Somerset Fire later received information that the man’s car was still parked in the Club lot on Saturday morning.

On Sunday morning, the State Police Air Wing identified an area of interest about one-quarter-mile south of Pratt Avenue. Searchers recovered the man’s body at about 11 a.m.

The victim’s name has not been released. The body was reportedly found just south of Gay Street.

Somerset Fire activated a task force including the Somerset Police Department, Somerset Harbor Master, the Somerset Police and Fire Drone Teams, Tiverton, R.I., Marine Unit, Bristol, R.I., Marine Unit, Fall River Harbormaster, Fall River Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard, and Massachusetts Environmental Police.