DETROIT (WXYZ) — Search crews have recovered the body of the Detroit firefighter more than 12 hours after he went missing in the Detroit River Friday night.
Crews were dispatched to Belle Isle around 9:22 p.m. Friday, according to Captain Dave Fornell. The Michigan State Police Dive team joined the search efforts Saturday morning, according to Lt. Mike Shaw.
"Our Dive Team is headed out to assist with the recovery operation as well," Shaw said.
Officials confirmed the firefighter's identity as Sergeant Sivad Johnson. The 26-year veteran of the department was presumed dead Saturday morning, sources told 7 Action News reporter Kim Craig.
Johnson was reportedly off-duty and with his 10-year-old daughter when people noticed a few young girls struggling in the river.
He went into the water to help the girls but never returned to shore.
The search began after Johnson's daughter called 911 to report her father was missing.
Back in June 2018, Sgt. Johnson took listeners behind the scenes of the Detroit Fire Department on the Moth Podcast.
Sgt Sivad Johnson, the Detroit Firefighter rescue crews are searching for, went missing during an off-duty rescue in the Det. River. Friends say helping people was in his blood. He was even featured on @NPR Moth podcast “To Bravely Do or Bravely Die” https://t.co/DOqxl1ELkL
— Jennifer Ann Wilson WXYZ (@JennaWils) August 22, 2020
Close relatives have organized a GoFundMe page to raise money to support the family of fallen Detroit Firefighter Sgt. Sivad Johnson.
