Death of man recovered from river in Moraine in May ruled an accident

The death of a man whose body was found in the Great Miami River in Moraine this spring has been ruled an accident.

Jose Manuel Tapia Deleon, 57, was found just before 9 a.m. May 29 in the 3300 block of East River Road near the Dayton Boat Club.

His cause of death was drowning, according to Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.

Crews responded to the area after receiving a 911 call.

“I was on the water and I found a body,” the caller said, according to Moraine police and fire dispatch records.

Five Rivers MetroParks Chief of Public Safety Mark Hess said it was clear the body had been in the river for a while.

It’s not clear where Deleon entered the water nor how long he was in the river before he was found.

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