New York State Park Police say a body was recovered over the weekend from the Lower Niagara River. Although the body has not been positively identified as of Monday morning, the discovery comes days after a Buffalo-area teen fell into the water while fishing with friends.
According to a police statement, the “body was observed floating in the lower Niagara River by Canadian officials. New York State Park Police immediately deployed a drone to monitor the location and track the body. New York State Park Police with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard Niagara Station, were able to successfully recover the body from the Niagara River.”
New York State Police are now working with medical examiners to identify the person.
Investigators say Wednesday morning they were notified that an 18-year-old male identified as Aung Hla of Buffalo was with friends in the river gorge when he slipped on a rock and fell into the water.
A bi-national search followed Thursday, with personnel from New York State Park Police, Canadian Park Police, New York State Police, the Niagara Falls Fire Department, US Coast Guard, and aviation units from Erie and Niagara Counties participating.
By late Friday evening, police had officially transitioned their rescue search into a recovery operation.