Canoeists find body in Kalamazoo River

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) - Canoeists with a local children's camp spotted a woman's body in the Kalamazoo River July 12.

Campers and counselors from the Kalamazoo Nature Center were practicing their canoe and kayaking skills just before 11:30 a.m. when one of the counselors noticed what they thought was a body.

They got the campers -- seven children between the ages of 12 and 14 -- out of the park while they called 911.

Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers soon arrived on the scene near Riverview Drive and E. Patterson Street. KDPS worked with Kalamazoo County Marine Patrol and Comstock Fire and Rescue to retrieve the body from the river.

The victim's full identity has not been released, but police said on Monday she is an African-American female in the age range of late teens to 30, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing between 120 and 130 pounds and found wearing a purple, sleeveless, collared shirt, dark blue jeans with cargo pockets on the sides, and white K Swiss shoes.

An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death has yet to be determined at this time. 

Police say the body is that of a black female in her late teens to thirties. She was about 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds. She was wearing a purple, sleeveless, collared shirt, dark blue jeans with cargo pockets on the sides, and white K-Swiss sneakers.

Investigators told 24 Hour News 8 the body was badly decomposed and appeared to have been in the water for some time, though they have not specified how long.

There are no obvious signs of foul play.

Officials with the Kalamazoo Nature Center said their counselors reacted the way they've been trained.

"They did exactly what they've been training for all along," said Michelle Karpinski of the Kalamazoo Nature Center. "They spotted the situation and they got the kids out of the area -- minimum exposure, if any, to the kids -- and called 911, called us and let us know what was happening. So they handled it just fabulously and I'm really proud of them."

Investigators are also checking missing person reports. Anyone with information is asked to call KDPS at 269.337.8994 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.