A days-long search along the Cuyahoga River ended in heartbreak late Thursday when Cleveland fire crews recovered the body of a missing fisherman near Tremont. Officials identified the man as 31-year-old Toneshwar "Tony" Persaud of Cleveland, whose family and friends had been combing the riverbanks since he fell into the water while on a fishing trip the previous Friday.
According to WKYC, a crew aboard a passing freighter spotted a man floating in the river and alerted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. State and local agencies responded, and the Cleveland Division of Fire recovered the body near Jefferson Avenue, then turned the remains over to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.
Search efforts and family reaction
Friends told News 5 that Persaud had been fishing along the river near Jefferson Avenue on Friday night when he tripped and fell into the water. Bystanders "tried to save him" but were no match for the powerful current, they said.
In the days that followed, the Cleveland Division of Fire launched nighttime dive operations while the Ohio Department of Natural Resources deployed sonar equipment as the effort shifted from a rescue to a recovery over the weekend, News 5 reported. Family members and neighbors gathered along the river, hoping for answers and some measure of closure.
Recovery and next steps
Authorities said the recovery required coordination between local, state, and federal agencies because of fast currents and ongoing commercial shipping on the Cuyahoga, according to WKYC. Officials have not yet released the cause or manner of death. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy and make a formal identification.
As the neighborhood around the river continues to grapple with the loss, officials are again urging people to use extreme caution near swift-moving waterways, News 5 noted. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police.
