Missing swimmer found dead near Monte Rio Beach

The body of a 24- year-old man was found in the river near Monte Rio Beach on Wednesday after a search by divers from the Sonoma County Sheriff's search and rescue team.

A call from a worried family member reported the man missing about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, after family had been searching for him for two hours. Crews from the Monte Rio Fire Protection District used boats with underwater cameras to search for the man until it got too dark, Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman said.

Deputies had also searched the area by foot and with the help of the agency's helicopter, but the man was not found.

The man's name has not been released by law enforcement.

The man, who was from out of the area, was last seen swimming in the Russian River without a life jacket, Baxman said.

'The drownings we have had in the last 10 to 15 years have almost always been a visitor and never a local,' he said.

Divers found the body two hours after starting their search Wednesday about 7 a.m.

They found the man face down in about 9 feet of water close to the beach, Baxman said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets and Alexandria Bordas at 707-521-5337 or alexandria.bordas@pressdemocrat.com.