FORT PAYNE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say an Illinois man has drowned after jumping from a rock into an Alabama river near Little River Canyon in the northeast part of the state.
Cherokee County Coroner Jeremy Deaton said 39-year-old Josh William Grunder of Tampico, Illinois, was pronounced dead after his body was recovered Sunday evening, May 15, 2016, in the Martha’s Falls area of Little River Canyon National Preserve.
The Gadsden Times reports that Grunder apparently jumped from a rock into the water and resurfaced, then went under again and did not resurface.
Deaton said the coroner’s office is investigating the death, but foul play is not suspected. Multiple media outlets reported drugs or alcohol were not suspected as contributing factors, either.
Grunder worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections, and leaves behind a wife and three children, according to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit his family.
