Man’s body found in Rock River near Peoria Avenue bridge in Dixon

Law enforcement officers examine the area near where a body was found in the Rock River, near the Peoria Avenue Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. The body appeared to be found near the edge of a sand bar in shallow water.

DIXON – The body of a man was found Tuesday on the south side of the Rock River, several yards southwest of the Peoria Avenue bridge.

Officers responded around 2:30 p.m. to a report of a body in the water, just downstream from the bridge and near the shoreline of a sandbar that jutted out into the river. The man was white with a white beard, according to police and witness reports.

His body was removed shortly before 4 p.m.

Law enforcement officers responded to a report of a body in the Rock River, near the Peoria Avenue Bridge on Tuesday afternoon. The body appeared to be found near the edge of a sand bar in shallow water.

His name was not released; notification of the man’s next of kin is pending and an investigation is underway, police said in a news release Tuesday evening.

As is procedure with such a death, Illinois State Police crime scene investigators also responded to process the scene, in case it turns out a crime may have been committed.

Anyone with information is asked to call Dixon police at 815-288-4411 or the anonymous reward tipline Crimestoppers at 888-228-4488.

Shaw Local News Network editor Earleen Hinton contributed to this story.

Authorities walk along the Rock River's shoreline near Dixon's Peoria Avenue bridge on Tuesday as they investigate the discovery of a body.
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Kathleen Schultz

Kathleen A. Schultz

Kathleen Schultz is a Sterling native with 40 years of reporting and editing experience in Arizona, California, Montana and Illinois.