NATCHEZ — The body of a Ferriday man was found washed up on the Adams County side of the Mississippi River just a mile south of the port after he apparently drowned during a fishing trip.

Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said his search and rescue team began searching the river at approximately 10 a.m. Saturday after receiving a call from the U.S. Coast Guard in Memphis.

“The Coast Guard came up on a boat that was unoccupied and the throttle was going, but nothing was inside except some live fish,” Mayfield said. “While we were searching, they were able to identify the passenger by the boat number and found his truck over near the Vidalia RV Park where they think he launched from.”

The boat was registered to Harold Short, 80, 518 Levens Addition Road, Ferriday.

Mayfield said search and rescue teams found Short’s body at approximately 12:30 p.m. washed up on the Natchez side of the river nearly a mile south of the Adams County Port.

Mayfield said he notified Adams County Corner James Lee of the recovery, but Short’s family later declined an autopsy.

“The family is satisfied with the fact that he drowned in the river while he was fishing, and they don’t want an autopsy,” Mayfield said. “I believe he was using some kind of net and probably just fell overboard trying to get that out of the water.

“It’s a tragedy.”