ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — The Athens County Sheriff’s Office announced the identity of the individual found dead in the Hocking River near Nelsonville.
On March 30, the Hocking County 9-1-1 dispatchers received a call from kayakers who said that they had found a body on a sand bar in the river.
A short time later deputies from Hocking and Athens County responded to the area.
Yesterday, authorities say, the identity of the deceased man was released by the Athens County Coroner’s Office. The body was identified as 39-year-old Derek Johnson, of Nelsonville.
Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith said, “Johnson was reported missing on January 25, 2022, as was last seen near his home on Laurel Run Road in Hocking County.”
The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation regarding Johnson’s death is still ongoing.