A young father from Maryland has gone missing after traveling to Ohio to attend an NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
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Phoenix Phillips, 24, made the trip for the Thursday Night Football matchup before disappearing the following morning.
Police say Phillips was last seen in downtown Cleveland at around 6 a.m. on Friday, with authorities describing the circumstances surrounding his disappearance as "concerning."
NFL Missing Person Search Underway for Young Father
Police believe Phillips may have been traveling on foot when he disappeared.
The 24-year-old is described as 6-foot-1 and approximately 170 pounds, with blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, beige pants, and white tennis shoes.
Phillips, from the Baltimore area, is the father of a 2-year-old boy.
He traveled to Cleveland with a friend for the NFL game but became separated from the person he was with before his disappearance.
"He's from out of state, so he was in town visiting and at some point kind of got separated from the person he was with, and after that, you know, we're still trying to determine what actually happened," Cleveland police spokesperson Sgt. Freddy Diaz said.
Detectives have been searching the area where Phillips was last seen as they attempt to piece together his movements.
Investigators have reportedly been looking for surveillance footage. They have also been following up on tips that could provide further information about his whereabouts.
Body Recovered From Water Amid Search for Phillips
The search took a tragic turn on Tuesday afternoon when authorities recovered a body from the water in Cleveland.
However, police have not confirmed whether the discovery has any connection to Phillips' disappearance. The identity of the person has not been publicly established.
Diaz said authorities recovered the body shortly after 1 p.m. before sending it to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
Phillips' family members have traveled to Cleveland since his disappearance and are assisting with efforts to locate him.
Cleveland Missing co-founder Sylvia Colon has also said she planned to meet with the family and provide support during the search.
The organization is supplying fliers for Phillips' relatives to distribute throughout the local community. While also helping them communicate with law enforcement and determine what additional support they may need.
For now, Phillips remains missing as his family and investigators continue searching for answers.
Authorities are expected to release further information about the body recovered on Tuesday once additional details become available.
