A passing motorist on Oct. 29 told authorities they saw a man floating face down in the Smith River.
The caller first observed the body floating under the bridge located at Daniels Creek Road and River Road, according to the 11:13 a.m. report to the Martinsville-Henry County 911 Center.
The motorist followed the body until it became entangled in a tree alongside River Road.
The body was recovered from the river by an off-duty Patrick County Auxiliary Deputy and swift-water rescue teams from the Ridgeway District Rescue Squad and Fieldale Volunteer Fire Department.
The body is believed to be that of a white man wearing black sweat pants and a T-shirt.
It appears the body had been in the river for more than 24-hours. The circumstances of how the body got into the river remain under investigation.
The body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia for identification and an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at (276) 638-8751 or Crimestoppers at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers up to $2,500.00 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of information determine the amount of reward paid.
