The body of a young father who went missing after traveling to Ohio to attend an NFL game has been discovered.
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Phoenix Phillips, 24, attended the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns before disappearing the following morning.
On Tuesday, October 6, four days after his disappearance, authorities recovered Phillips' body from the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland.
NFL Fan Dies After Disappearing in Cleveland
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Phillips' identity after emergency crews recovered a body from the river on Tuesday.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine his cause of death.
Earlier that afternoon, at approximately 1 p.m. local time, 911 dispatchers received a report of something floating in the river.
Officers from the Cleveland Police Department responded alongside the Cleveland Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard and Cleveland EMS.
Emergency crews subsequently located and recovered the body, which the medical examiner later identified as Phillips.
Before the discovery, Phillips had last appeared in downtown Cleveland at approximately 6 a.m. on Friday.
Authorities previously described the circumstances surrounding his disappearance as "concerning."
Investigators believed Phillips may have been traveling on foot when he vanished.
Family Traveled to Cleveland to Search for Missing Father
Phillips had traveled to Cleveland with a friend to attend the NFL game but became separated from his companion 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.
Following his disappearance, Phillips' family members traveled to Cleveland and joined efforts to locate the missing 24-year-old.
Sylvia Colon, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Cleveland Missing, also planned to meet with his relatives and provide support during the search.
The organization helped supply missing-person fliers for the family to distribute throughout the community.
It also assisted Phillips' relatives with communication between law enforcement agencies and identifying any additional resources they might need.
Phillips, who came from the Baltimore area, leaves behind a two-year-old son.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office will determine his cause of death, with authorities expected to release further information as the investigation progresses.
