Identified! CA - Stanslaus Co., WhtMale in Stanislaus River, May'17 - Gary Johnson

Authorities are investigating the discovery of a man’s body in the Stanislaus River behind the Spring Creek Country Club on Tuesday afternoon.

Ripon police and fire personnel responded to the 1 p.m. dispatch, said police Lt. Steve Merchant. When they arrived, they found and recovered a body they’ve so far identified only as being male.

Steve Hupe, general manager of the golf club, said staff got a call from a golfer on the fourth tee who saw what he believed to be a body stuck in the branches in the river. He said the recovery team pulled the body out of the river and onto a pontoon boat. The man was Caucasian, clothed, and appeared to have been in the water for some time, Hupe said.

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On Tuesday, the Modesto police were able to positively identify the body as that of 74-year-old Gary Johnson...

He was considered at risk because he had dementia.

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