AUBURN — A woman found dead in the Owasco River Sunday evening has been identified as 47-year-old Sherry L. Stephenson of Auburn, the Auburn Police Department said.
Police are still investigating the circumstances of Stephenson's death, but they said there was no foul play, and there is nothing suspicious at this time.Â
Auburn police officers responded to reports of a woman in the Owasco River near the North Division Street bridge at around 7 p.m. Sunday. The Auburn Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team and the Onondaga County Sheriff Department's Air 1 helicopter assisted in the operation.
The woman's body was removed from the Owasco River at about 8:15 p.m. near the Aurelius Avenue bridge.
During the search and rescue attempt, the swift water rescue crews were stationed along the river's embankments surveying the rushing currents. The APD used caution tape to block off areas at the North Division Street bridge and again down at the Aurelius Avenue bridge. The helicopter dispatched to the scene circled the river.Â
Crews could be seen sliding down an embankment just beyond the Aurelius Avenue bridge. Flashlights and a beam from the helicopter illuminated the increasingly darkening waters.
Anyone with information about the incident should contact Investigator Mark Schafer at (315) 252-5874 or (315) 253-3231. Callers may remain anonymous.
Staff writer Gwendolyn Craig can be reached at (315) 282-2237 or gwendolyn.craig@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @gwendolynnn1.
