Woman saw man’s body in the Bernard Bayou. But who was he?

A woman walking on a short concrete bridge on Three Rivers Road just north of County Barn Road looked over and saw a body floating in the water, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said.

The body, found early Monday evening, was that of a man, and officials are trying to confirm his identity, police said Tuesday.

The man was white, in his mid-40s to 50s, 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10 and weighed 200 pounds. He had dark hair, a beard and was wearing a gold-colored watch, Police Sgt. Clayton Fulks said.

The body was found shortly before 5:40 p.m. Monday, he said.

There was nothing to immediately indicate that foul play was involved, Fulks said.

The area is between Creosote Road and the Interstate 10 overpass. The bayou empties into Big Lake and Gulfport Lake and waterways on the Industrial Seaway canal.

Anyone who can help identify the man is asked to call the Gulfport Police Department at 228-868-5959, or call Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898.

The Gulfport Fire Department and Mississippi Department of Marine Resources assisted in recovering the body.

This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 5:39 PM.