Search continues for man who went missing in Delaware River

Police and rescue workers are still trying to find a man who witnesses said may have drowned Saturday afternoon in the Delaware River.

Dive teams and rescuers in boats searched the area near the Easton wastewater plant, where multiple witnesses saw the man disappear under water around 4 p.m. Saturday, according to Pennsylvania Water Rescue Chief Branden Bachman.

Authorities searched the area until sundown Saturday and all day Sunday, Bachman said. They used sonar and other imaging equipment in portions of the river, he said.

A scaled-back search will continue Monday, Bachman said.

“At this point we will not be continuing a large-scale search of the river,” he said. “We will continue to use our drone and periodic boat-based searches of the surrounding shore lines and surface areas.”

Easton Police Lieutenant Matthew Gerould said a local family reported a family member missing Sunday afternoon. The family told police the man hadn’t been seen since Saturday, around the time the witnesses saw the man go underwater in the river. Police think the missing man could be the possible drowning victim.

It’s unclear whether the person who went underwater managed to get to shore and walk away. Police are looking for information about the missing man’s whereabouts.

The missing swimmer is described as a man in his 60s with short gray hair, standing about 5 feet 6 inches tall. He was last seen wearing black shorts and black water shoes. Police did not release the missing person’s name out of respect for the family, Gerould said.

Anyone with information about the missing man can call Easton police at 610-250-2282.

The wastewater plant is at 50-A South Delaware Drive in Easton. It’s across the river from Phillipsburg.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.