ELYRIA, Ohio — Searchers recovered the body of a missing 16-year-old from the Black River on Saturday afternoon, after a three-day hunt on the ground, in the water and by air.
The Elyria Police Department announced the end of the search for Vincent Pabon just after 5 p.m. Saturday.
"First and foremost, I just want to say that our hearts and thoughts go out to the family of Vincent during this very difficult and challenging time," Capt. Bill Lantz told reporters at the scene.
Lantz said a drone operator spotted a body in the basin at the bottom of the East Falls waterfall around 3 p.m. Saturday. The Elyria Fire Department retrieved the body, and the Lorain County Coroner's office was able to identify him.
"We've been in constant communication with both of his parents throughout this incident, and their strength is unbelievable," Lantz said. "Mom has stayed out here, I believe, the last two nights. And I just can't imagine being in that situation. ... At least, at this point, they have some preliminary answers. And Vincent has been recovered."
Family members gathered under a white tent near the East Falls Riverwalk, where police cordoned off a large area with yellow tape for much of the afternoon. The family asked for privacy while they were grieving.
Lantz said the case will now become a death investigation, with Elyria detectives assisting the coroner's office. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Loesch by calling 440-326-1212.
What happened?
A 24-year-old man reported Vincent missing Thursday morning. Lantz said the man described himself as Vincent's friend. The pair had used a trail to get close to the river, where they were drinking alcohol. The man told police Vincent fell in.
RELATED: Elyria police searching for missing teen in Black River
The man told officers he tried to pull Vincent out of the water but fell in himself. The 24-year-old eventually was able to make it back to the riverbank, but he saw no sign of the teen.
"We've already conducted and gathered a lot of evidence and information relevant to the initial circumstances," Lantz said. "We will continue to gather that information and continue to investigate that."
The 24-year-old has been charged with tampering with evidence — a third-degree felony. He's also been charged with contributing to the unruliness of a minor for giving Vincent alcohol. That's a first-degree misdemeanor.
News 5 is not identifying the man at this point.
The search began just after 8 a.m. Thursday. Hundreds of people from multiple agencies looked for the teen using diving equipment, boats, dogs, sonar and a heat-detecting drone.
On Thursday, Lantz described the stretch of the river where Vincent reportedly fell as a challenging environment. He said the water is 20 to 25 feet deep downstream from the waterfall, at the East Falls Riverwalk, and search teams had to navigate obstacles, including a concrete overhang.
Teams searched for 12 hours on Thursday and returned to the river on Friday. On Saturday, officers continued the search on foot and by bicycle, while sending a drone up again, until they found Vincent's body. Now, Lantz said the hunt for answers will continue.
"With it being a death investigation, everything is on the table," he said.
Click here to view the News 5 Cleveland Missing Persons page.
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