Brandon Wichert, 18, Found Dead in River

  FIRST ON POTOMACLOCAL.COM  

UPDATE 9 a.m. 

Stafford County authorities have released identified the man found dead in the Rappahannock River late Tuesday. Details from their press release below:

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office reports that an 18 year old male drowned in the Rappahannock River last night, Tuesday, July 10, 2012.

At 9:40 last night, July 10 deputies responded to a water rescue on Riverside Drive in the City of Fredericksburg. Witnesses told the responding units that 6 friends were jumping off of a rock into the river on the Fredericksburg side of the river. At one point the friends stated that they had jumped into the river while the victim stayed on the rock. When the friends turned to talk to their friend they noticed that he was no longer on the rock. The friends began looking for the victim along the shore line and the main road when they called 9-1-1.

Rescue units from Stafford County, Fredericksburg City and the Virginia State Police responded to search for the victim. Divers from the Fredericksburg Fire Department located the body of the victim in the area where he was last seen in about 8 feet of water.

The victim has been identified as Brandon Wichert, age 18, of Spotsylvania County.

UPDATE 12:10 a.m.

Fire and rescue crews in Falmouth report a victim in the search for a man who went missing in the Rappahannock River tonight has been found.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office will take over with an investigation, according to initial reports. 

FALMOUTH, Va. — Falmouth fire and rescue volunteers late Tuesday night were searching for a man who went missing in the Rappahannock River near the Falmouth Bridge that carries cars on U.S. 1 between Stafford County and Fredericksburg.

HAPPENING NOW: Follow the latest developments from Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department

The volunteer fire company first reported a man who went missing in the river about 9:40 p.m. The man had already been missing for 20 minutes when crews were summoned for help, according to the department.

A boat and search crews were dispatched to the water, a Virginia State Police helicopter, and Stafford sheriff’s department was called into help crews search the area, according the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department’s Twitter feed.

According to initial reports, crews were still on the scene searching for the missing man at 11:50 p.m.