ATHENS, Ohio — The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has released additional information on the discovery of a body found near the Hocking River in Guysville. The incident was reported on June 1, 2024, by a local resident who was kayaking in the area with two companions.
The resident called authorities at 7:18 PM, stating they believed they had found human remains under a log upstream from River Rd. Deputies were dispatched and arrived on the scene at 7:50 PM. Upon arrival, the resident showed deputies a picture of what appeared to be a human skull. The resident then led them to the location near the riverbank.
While waiting for a rescue boat, the deputies conducted a grid search of the immediate area but found no additional items of note. Upon the arrival of the rescue boat, deputies confirmed that the remains were human. A supervising officer arrived shortly after and coordinated the recovery of the body.
The remains were transported to the roadway where a death investigator and personnel from a local funeral home took over. The deceased has not yet been identified, and the investigation is ongoing.
The Sheriff’s Office has stated that there are no current missing persons cases matching the description of the remains. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Athens County Sheriff’s Office.