BEMIDJI - A 65-year-old man was found dead in the Mississippi River on Saturday between Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji.
According to a release from Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp, a citizen spotted clothing floating near the shoreline of the river and contacted law enforcement. Deputies arrived to the area and located a deceased male floating face down about 10 feet from shore in between Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji. The Bemidji Fire Department responded to assist in recovering the body, which was badly decomposed, the release said.
The man was identified as Francis Normen Smith, 65, who had no known address and who had apparently been camping nearby, the release. An autopsy conducted Monday by the Beltrami County Coroner ruled Smith's death accidental.
