JENNER, Calif. – The body of a 74-year-old man who had been reported missing two days earlier was recovered from a pickup truck submerged in the Russian River on Saturday afternoon.
Clifford Souza was last seen Thursday in Gualala, an unincorporated community in Mendocino County.
He had planned to drive to Martinez and return to Gualala on Thursday night, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. A Silver Alert was issued when he did not return.
The California Highway Patrol responded about 2:31 p.m. Saturday to a report of a submerged vehicle off state Highway 1, north of state Highway 116. Souza’s body was inside.
A preliminary investigation indicated that Sousa’s Ford Ranger was traveling on Highway 1 when the pickup veered off the roadway and into the river.
Details of the crash including when the crash occurred remains under investigation.