DETROIT – A body found in the Detroit River has been identified as a painter who fell from the Ambassador Bridge in January.
Where he was found
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The body of 28-year-old Kent Morton was found in the river near Zug Island on Friday. Kent Morton fell from the underside of the bridge on January 11, but he was never found after several days of searching.
IMAGES: Body found in Detroit River
Morton was a subcontractor for Seaway Painting.
Authorities had said the drop from bridge combined with the temperature of the water – about 37 degrees – worked against Morton's rate of survival. Detroit EMS Lt. Damon Sutton said witnesses reported seeing Morton struggle once he hit the water.
"They saw him fighting the water and he went down under apparently at the Boblo dock area," Sutton said.
Memorial information
His family will be holding a private memorial service.
About the bridge project Morton was working on
A major reconditioning of the Ambassador Bridge has been going on for the past year and 1/2, but state inspectors haven't visited the site once. The project has included replacing the main driving deck and painting the iron, which is what 27-year-old Kent Morton was doing before he fell from the bridge.