The body of a 15-year-old Garfield Heights teen was recovered from Tinker's Creek in Bedford, officials said Monday.
A couple out horseback riding discovered the remains near the Egbert picnic area in the Bedford Reservation around 10:30 a.m. Monday, Bedford Fire Chief Dave Nagy said.
Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office identified the teen as Jalen Wise, 15, of Garfield Heights.
Watch Bedford Fire Department Dave Nagy give update following the recovery of the teen's body in the media player above.
Crews spent the weekend searching for Wise after he went swimming Saturday, despite posted signage warning against it.
"Again, I can't stress enough it was searched multiple times yesterday. I've spent the last three days preaching about the power of water, how much lack of respect there is for it," said Bedford Fire Chief Dave Nagy.
Wise was last seen struggling in the water near Willis Park around 6 p.m. Saturday.
On Monday, officials said the water level was down and the water was moving significantly slower than previous days.
Just spoke with Bedford Fire Chief about search for 15YO who went missing in Tinkers Creek over wknd. Hopeful for some closure today. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/2RTU1yx8GY
— Meg Shaw (@MegDShaw) July 3, 2017
"We have what is known as a chute, it's basically a shale rock formation, similar to a waterslide," Nagy said. "When we get a lot of rain, people attempt to slide down there, and, unfortunately, with the hydraulics of the water, at the end of the chute, many times it takes them underneath. And with the force of the water, they're unable to extricate themselves from the water and they end up drowning."
Even as the search was taking place, teenagers were showing up to slide down the hill into the creek.
"The last fatality we had down there was probably five or six years ago," said Nagy. "I think a 10-year-old girl, but we do have rescues, we are probably in the double digits of rescues that we've had down here since I've been working in Bedford."
Nagy warned others to stay away from areas with signage warning against swimming.
