Father of 2 vanished during boat ride along Alabama river, cops say. Now, body found
A body found floating on an Alabama river was identified as a man who vanished while on the river in February, authorities said.
A barge crew saw the body on Blakeley River near Interstate 10 at about 7:15 a.m. Saturday, March 1, the Spanish Fort Police Department said in a news release. Officers said the description matched that of John DeJonge, who has been missing since Feb. 15.
“It hurts that he’s gone. It hurts that he’s not with us no more,” David DeJonge, John’s brother, said in a March 1 Facebook video.
David DeJonge described his brother as a “sweetheart” who loved everyone. He said he shared the video after notifying John DeJonge’s children and their mother that his body was found. DeJonge was a father of two, PEOPLE reported.
“I’m glad we got closure for this,” David DeJonge said in the video.
John DeJonge was out on the river Feb. 15 with another man and a 2-year-old when the boat overturned, resulting in the three ending up in the water, according to police.
The other man and the 2-year-old made it back to shore, but DeJonge could not be found.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the individual recovered,” police said in the release.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol is continuing to investigate the incident, police said.
Spanish Fort is about a 10-mile drive southeast from Mobile.
This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Father of 2 vanished during boat ride along Alabama river, cops say. Now, body found."
