Grim discovery made 10 days after campers find swimmer’s belongings unattended, cops say

The body of a 22-year-old swimmer was discovered in the Missouri River 10 days after he was reported missing by concerned campers, South Dakota authorities say.

Campers at the Meridian Bridge RV Resort in South Yankton alerted authorities May 24 to Phillip Snoozy’s disappearance, according to the National Park Service. The campers said they found Snoozy’s belongings unattended on the riverbank.

Snoozy, of Yankton, South Dakota, was last seen May 24 swimming by himself in the Missouri River, officials said.

On June 2, 10 days after Snoozy was last seen, a boater from Nebraska discovered a body in the river along the South Dakota shoreline, the Yankton County Sheriff’s Office said.

The body, which was found about a quarter mile away from the James River, was identified as Snoozy’s, according to the sheriff.

Authorities have not determined Snoozy’s cause of death as of June 3. The Yankton County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the case with the Ceder County Sheriff’s Office from Nebraska.

This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Grim discovery made 10 days after campers find swimmer’s belongings unattended, cops say."