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An investigation is underway by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, hoping to identify the body that washed ashore south of the Pismo Beach Pier Monday afternoon. Coroner’s investigators will be performing an autopsy on Wednesday.
“Because the body was partially decomposed, it is believed to have been in the water for some time,” said SLO County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Tony Cipolla.
Initial speculation is that this may the body of Marco Antonio Reyes Jr, a 28-year old man who disappeared in March after jumping off the pier in the night. Monday’s discovery occurred just a mile south of where Reyes was last seen. Witnesses said he was swimming at about 9:40 p.m. and was later heard screaming for help before they lost sight of him. For most of the next day Police, fire safety, the US Coast Guard and California State Parks searched the waters for Reyes but weren’t able to find him.
Cipolla said Monday they couldn’t confirm that this body was the same man, but once the autopsy is complete and the family is notified they will release the name.
