LIBERTY CENTER, Ohio — A man who fell into the Maumee River and found dead a few hours later was identified Sunday as Alex Smith, 49, of Grand Rapids, Ohio, the Henry County Sheriff's Office said.

He reportedly struck his head aboard a boat and fell into the Maumee River late Saturday, the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department said in a news release.

A dispatcher at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office said the first 911 call came in at 6:40 p.m. about a person who went missing offshore of the riverside hamlet of Texas, Ohio. Radio communications indicated that one search boat launched a short time later and more search boats were summoned.

The Toledo fire department joined with multiple agencies to assist Henry County Sheriff's Office to search the Maumee River near Grand Rapids.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., a diver entered the water where the victim was last seen. After a 30-minute search and a second dive, the diver found the deceased victim at approximately 9:20 p.m. Saturday.

“Although we obviously were hoping for a positive outcome, we are proud to have been one of several agencies that were able to help give closure to the family and friends of the deceased,” Toledo fire said in the release.

Authorities at the scene also requested assistance from the Coast Guard, including a helicopter.

Those assisting included Liberty Township Fire, Damascus Township Fire and Rescue, Grand Rapids Fire, Waterville Fire, Springfield Township and its K9, Continental Fire, the Ohio Division of Watercraft, and the Coast Guard out of Detroit, Sheriff Michael Bodenbender reported.

First Published June 25, 2022, 11:39 p.m.