Body found in Portland river—at least 12 found in area waterways this year

Authorities in Oregon have discovered another body in the waterways around Portland, Oregon, bringing the total number of bodies found this year to at least a dozen. The body was discovered near the Broadway Bridge in the Willamette River on Saturday.

A bystander made the discovery, according to the Oregonian. After notifying authorities, the sheriff's office took the body to Cathedral Park, where it was then taken to the medical examiner for further inspection and to identify the deceased person.

"Someone saw the body in the water. I don’t know who. There is a walking path on the river there and also apartments," Deputy John Plock said.

Plock added that there were no circumstances he could point to immediately to determine how long the body had been in the water. In late spring, when temperatures rise in the water, it can accelerate decomposition, causing remains to float to the surface. At least a dozen bodies have been discovered this year, mostly during the late springtime.

According to Newsweek, in a matter of weeks, there were 10 bodies found in waterways around Portland. The number of bodies found has also been higher than usual this year, the outlet reported.

The latest incident followed normal protocol, which the outlet said is that when a body is found, the sheriff's office recovers the deceased and then delivers the body to the Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office which tries to verify identification and determine the cause of death.

Earlier this year, the medical examiner determined that the majority of the bodies looked at by the office were caused by suicide or accidental drowning.