Body Of Missing Detroit Firefighter Found Near Belle Isle

DETROIT, MI —Rescue teams on Saturday recovered the body of a man who went missing Friday after reportedly going into the water near Belle Isle to save two girls from drowning, according to Michigan State Police.

The victim was identified as 48-year-old Sivad Johnson, a sergeant and 26-year veteran of the Detroit Fire Department.

Johnson's body was found in the Detroit River not far offshore from Belle Isle by the Detroit Police Department and Detroit Fire Department divers, the Detroit Free Press reported, citing Detroit Fire Department Director Dave Fornell.

He was found at approximately 1 p.m. following a six-hour search Saturday.

Fornell told the Detroit News that despite Johnson being off-duty at the time of the incident, his "heroic sacrifice" will be labeled as a line-of-duty death with the department.

Johnson is the third person to die in the Detroit River this week after Livonia executive Robert Chiles and the Rev. Stephen Rooney's boat capsized on Sunday near Grosse Ile, the Detroit News reported. Both were found during a five-day search by rescue teams.

The search for Johnson began Friday at 9 p.m. after a 10-year-old girl on Belle Isle reported that she could not find her father.

When officers arrived they were told that roughly 30 to 45 minutes prior to the 911 call, the girl's father and several other people had gone into the water to save two girls from drowning, police said.

When the girls were out of the water and safe, their parents took them home, police said, and the 10-year-old girl realized she could not find her father and called 911.

Police said they believe Johnson may have been dragged underwater by the rip-current.

Patch National Breaking News Editor Megan VerHelst contributed to this report.