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Update: Body Of Missing Man, 78, Recovered From Passaic River

A body recovered from the Passaic River was that of a 78-year-old Woodland Park man reported missing on Labor Day, authorities confirmed.

Recovery team on the Passaic River.

Recovery team on the Passaic River.

Photo Credit: Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik
Totowa fire boat in the Passaic River, recovery team on the shore.

Totowa fire boat in the Passaic River, recovery team on the shore.

Photo Credit: Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik

Fire department boats were summoned to the Hillery Street Bridge in Totowa, where a large number of police and Passaic County sheriff's officers had gathered around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7.

Around 11 a.m., responders said, the operation became a body recovery.

A little over a half-hour later, Paterson firefighters brought the body ashore at the Veterans Memorial Park boat ramp off McBride Avenue in the city.

The New Jersey Medical Examiner's Office in Newark will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Surveillance video showed the man driving from his home around midnight Tuesday, responders said.

He was reported missing roughly nine hours later. Police found his car about five hours after that, at 2 p.m., near Totowa Road and Hillery Street.

A daylong search was called off around dark, then was resumed Wednesday morning.

Crew members on a fire boat spotted the body a short time after that, responders said.

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