Man's body found in irrigation weir

GRANT COUNTY — An unidentified Hispanic man's body was recovered Tuesday from an irrigation weir south of Potholes State Park, near the Adams County line, authorities said.

Grant County Coroner Jerry Jasman said the man, who was found wearing only underwear and had no identification, drowned. The body was found near the intersection of Road 13.5 southeast and Road D southeast.

Jasman described the man as five-feet, six-inches tall, weighing about 190 pounds. He estimated his age to be 25 to 35 years old. The man, who has a mustache, had his appendix removed, Jasman added.

There is no indication of foul play, the coroner said.

Jasman said he is continuing his work to determine when the man died and how long he was lodged in the weir.

Grant County Sheriff's Office detectives are handling the investigation.

Chief Criminal Deputy John Turley said a ditch rider was at the weir and attempting to adjust the flow of water to a farmer's field, but the body blocked the mechanism.

"He used his fork to reach down, thinking it was possibly a log, trash, debris or an animal," Turley said. "He reached down to bring up what he believed was just debris, and it was the foot of a human being."

There are no signs of trauma — bullet or knife wounds — on the body, Turley said. The man was covered in a fine-silt mud.

Turley said there are currently three Hispanic males missing from Grant County.

"It's undetermined at this point who we've got," he said.