By Staff
ST. JOSEPH - On Thursday, Nov. 17, the Berrien County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of a missing person in Buchanan Township.
It was found that two subjects had been driving at the above location on Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the early morning hours and observed what they thought was a police unit ahead of them due to spotlights being utilized by the vehicle. The vehicle was actually an AEP truck inspecting lines due to a power outage.
The two subjects stopped the vehicle and fled from the vehicle to avoid what they thought was the police as they were wanted and/or on parole and didn't want police contact.
One of the subjects returned to the vehicle later and did not see the other, but returned home. After not hearing from the other subject by Thursday, he contacted the misssing subject's family and the police were called to assist in the search.
Reported misssing was a Ryan Scott Anderson, 23, out of Berrien Springs.
A preliminary search was conducted by the Sheriff's Dept,. along with the Buchanan Twp. Fire Dept. in the early morning hours of the Friday, Nov. 18, with no results.
An additional search was started after daylight on Friday, the victim was located in the St. Joseph River in the 12000 block of E. Lake Chapin Road, Buchanan Township, in approximately five feet of water.
An autopsy is being scheduled to determine the cause of death, no further details were available at press time.
Assisting the Berrien County Sheriff's Department, DetectiveBureau, Road Patrol, Marine/Reserves and Posse, were the Michigan State Police, Aviation and K-9 and the Buchanan Township Fire Department.