Drowning victim pulled from Chattahoochee River identified

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - A man’s body was pulled out from the Chattahoochee River in Columbus Wednesday morning, making it the fourth drowning this year.

The victim was identified as 32-year-old Marcus Humbert. He was found behind the Columbus Trade Center face down in the water.

The Columbus Police Department confirmed Humbert had been missing for several days. Lt. Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick said the investigation has been turned over to the Robbery and Assault Unit, but so far, they don’t expect foul play to be a factor.

“At this time, we have no evidence suggesting foul play,” Fitzpatrick said. “Other than that, we are just doing a full investigation of possible things that could have happened to him.”

Columbus Fire Chief Ricky Shores said it was a pedestrian they first spotted the body floating in the water at around 8:30 a.m.

The Swift Water Rescue team arrived shortly after on the scene and used a boat to pull the body out of the water.

Although the Columbus Riverfront is a key tourist destination, Shores advises people to be cautious of the river’s strong currents.

“We don’t really know what happened with this incident today, but we would just like to encourage people to respect the water,” Shores said. “Understand your own personal limitations.”

Humbert’s body will be transported to Atlanta Thursday for a complete autopsy to determine a cause of death.

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