Firefighters recover man’s body in Trinity River, first spotted near park in Arlington

Fort Worth firefighters on Friday found the body of a man floating down the Trinity River, said Lt. Richard Fegan, an Arlington Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighters from Arlington and other departments searched for hours after receiving a call at 8:50 a.m. from a jogger who saw something that looked like a body in the water near River Legacy Park. The body was recovered near State Highway 360 and the Trinity River, Fegan said.

The cause and manner of Ryan Axsom’s death had not been determined Saturday by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Axsom, 30, lived in Fort Worth.

As of Friday afternoon, no signs of trauma were apparent, Arlington police said.

“Officers arrived and made visual contact with the body while awaiting assistance from the Arlington Fire Department,” police said. “Throughout the morning and early afternoon, efforts were made to recover the body.”

Fegan said the Arlington Fire Department was at the park, but other surrounding departments were notified in case the body made it farther down the Trinity River.

Multiple Arlington units, including the department’s Swift Water Dive Team, were involved in the recovery effort in the area of the park.

This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 1:18 PM.