Arizona woman found dead in Colorado River after wading into water fully clothed, police say
Emergency responders, dive team members and police search the Colorado River in Bullhead City during a multi-agency operation Friday morning. (Bryan Keenan/Code3News)
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. - A 55-year-old Arizona woman has died after stepping into the Colorado River fully clothed Friday morning, prompting a multi-agency search in Bullhead City.
What we know:
Emergency responders recovered the body of Melissa Marie Miley from the water roughly three hours after she was seen leaving her running car and entering the river, according to the Bullhead City Police Department.
The search:
Officers responded to the area near State Route 95 and Bullhead Parkway around 8:20 a.m. after witnesses reported seeing a person enter the river and fail to resurface. Surveillance footage captured from the area showed Miley parking her vehicle, leaving the engine running and walking directly into the water fully dressed.
A major search operation was immediately launched involving a police patrol boat, a dive team, and Water Rescue & Safety personnel using personal watercraft. A local Code 3 News media drone also assisted searchers in scanning the river.
The grim discovery:
At about 11:20 a.m., a witness reported seeing a body floating downstream near the 1200 block of Riverfront Drive. Rescuers retrieved Miley from the river, where she was pronounced dead.
What they're saying:
Police say the circumstances surrounding why Miley entered the water remain under investigation, though authorities do not suspect foul play.
Map of where the body was recovered:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Bullhead City Police Department.