Body Found In Passaic River Identified: Prosecutor

PATERSON, NJ — A Paterson man found in the Passaic River on Sunday, May 24, has been identified by the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Joshua Hames, 17, of Paterson, was found underneath Broadway on the Elmwood Park - Paterson border, according to a news release from the prosecutor's office. The cause of death is drowning.

According to the release, a preliminary investigation indicates the death isn't suspicious, but a full investigation is ongoing.

The Elmwood Police Department received a 911 call after 11 a.m. on Sunday reporting a body in the river. An Elmwood Park Fire Department rescue boat retrieved Hames and brought him to the Elmwood Park Marina for an examination by the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office, which revealed no trauma to the body, according to the release.

The investigation is being conducted by the prosecutor's office, Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Elmwood Park Police Department and Paterson Police Department.