David Fuller, 49, was reported missing to Beacon Police on Saturday by family members who had not seen him for a couple of days, said Town of Fishkill Chief James Schepperly.
Fuller was last seen walking along the old railroad train tracks that run from Fishkill to Beacon, according to the chief.
Large groups of friends and family, along with help from the Beacon police, organized search parties and spend days combing the area surrounding the Beacon area for Fuller, Schepperly said.
One of the groups, using a kayak, spotted the body floating near the creek, he said.
Once his body was discovered, officers from Fishkill, Beacon, and the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office began the recovery operation.
"The area the body was found in is so difficult to reach, (near the recycling plant) with several waterfalls, and deep grasses, that it took hours to reach the body," he added.
Officers from the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit were finally able to retrieve the body by using an inflatable Zodiac boat.
An autopsy was performed by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner on Thursday and found nothing suspicious, Schepperly said.
The case is still open and they are currently awaiting results of a toxicology report, he added.
"I have to say, we have no idea how he ended up in this hard-to-reach area," the chief said. "We consider the case open and pending at this point.
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