The search for Eric James Blair is over.
Family members identified a body pulled from the Red Cedar River about 2 p.m. Tuesday as the missing 18-year-old from Bay City.
The search, which had been concentrated in the river near Bogue Street, was extended further west Tuesday, MSU police Sgt. Jennifer Brown said. The department is continuing the investigation into the events leading to Blair’s death.
Blair’s family did not comment Tuesday.
The Delta College student was last seen Saturday near Waters Edge Apartments, 1050 Waters Edge Drive. After more than three days of searching, Blair’s body was recovered by a police dive team.
“The body was just laying on the bottom of the river near the east end of Kresge (Art Center),” MSU police Capt. Dave Trexler said. “They were just working where they hadn’t been before.”
Two witnesses reported seeing a body floating in the center of the river about 3 a.m. Saturday morning. Blair, who was visiting friends at MSU Friday, was reported missing Saturday evening.
Cold temperatures, 1-foot visibility in the water and mountains of debris in the river complicated the search. But by 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the only thing left of the effort were stray police lines and tire tracks near the river banks.
“It seems like people should understand the danger that exists,” said international relations senior Erynn Carter, who studies by the river often. “I wasn’t expecting to hear about a body at all, but it isn’t like this is the first time it happened.”
In 1998, 21-year-old Lapeer native Ryan Getz was pulled from the river after a four-month search.
Getz, who had left MSU in spring of 1997 for Flint’s Kettering University, was visiting friends at MSU, but was separated from the group near Cedar Village Apartments.
Pat Getz, Ryan Getz’s mother, said she wishes there weren’t any more tragedies in the river - but she also doesn’t know how to fix it.
“It’s just this pretty part of campus, and you don’t want to shield that,” she said. “When it’s dark, there really isn’t anything to stop you. I don’t know what they could do short of putting up a fence, which defeats the nice view.
“It’s part of the whole landscape - but it’s not as pretty for me as it used to be.”
Pat Getz said her family found solace in prayer and memories. She still includes her son when she tells stories and stays in contact with his friends.
“I felt it was somewhat comforting to actually find him as opposed to parents who never find their children and never know what happened,” she said. “Everybody handles it differently. There’s no good advice at this point except to always remember the good times.”
Jamie Gumbrecht can be reached at gumbrec1@msu.edu.
