BURLINGTON, N.J. — Two amateur anglers competing in the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional found a body Wednesday floating in the Delaware River.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. ET, Mike Reilly of Hammonton, N.J., and Mike Morris of Delaware spotted a body floating among lily pads in the Rancocas Creek near Delanco, N.J.
The anglers were idling through a no-wake zone when Reilly saw the body and pointed it out to Morris. They immediately called 911 and B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Senior Tournament Manager Jon Stewart to report the incident.
"According to authorities on site, the victim had been missing since Saturday,” Reilly told B.A.S.S. communications coordinator Melissa Dixon.
Identification of the victim has not been released.
The anglers were fishing on the first of three days of competition in the Mid-Atlantic Divisional, which is launching from Burlington, N.J. It is one of six Federation Nation events leading up the National Championship and six Bassmaster Classic berths.
Anglers compete for their state team in hopes of advancing to the Championship, held Nov. 3-5 on the Ouachita River out of Monroe, La. The individual winners in six divisions advance to the Classic, Feb. 24-26 on the Red River out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.