A Maplewood resident, who apparently was swept away in flood waters and killed, has been found, according to Maplewood police.
The man, in his 50s, was reported missing by family last night. Maplewood Police Chief Jim DeVaul says that police launched an exhaustive search last night during the storm but we only able to locate the man this morning in the vicinity of Ridgewood Road near Millburn.
“Not until the flood waters subsided and until daylight was when we were able to locate him,” said DeVaul.
DeVaul said that police were not releasing the name of the victim at this time.
Update: At 5:14 p.m., September 2, DeVaul sent out the following statement: “On September 1, 2021 at approximately 930 pm the Maplewood Police Department received a missing person report from a resident of Maple Terrace. The caller reported that her husband went outside during the rain storm for about an hour and had not returned. Officers and Fire Rescue Personnel along with neighbors conducted a thorough check of the surrounding area and were unable to locate him due to dark and hazardous flood conditions. The following morning at about 712 am, Patrols located an individual who appeared to be deceased in the area of 658 Ridgewood Road. EMS and advanced life support were dispatched to the scene. The victim was pronounced deceased by medical personnel on scene. It is believed that he may have been attempting to remove debris from drains in the area and was suddenly swept up into dangerous flood waters. The Regional Medical Examiner responded to the scene and transported the victim to their facility to determine the cause of death. Detectives later
Throughout Thursday, police continued to deal with sinkholes (one on Pierson near Valley), trees down and transformers out (Field Road), as well as numerous abandoned cars in the Maplewood Village and Valley Street area. Four police cruisers were flooded out last night and needed to be towed as police worked to aid stranded motorists, said DeVaul.
Meanwhile, Maplewood fire personnel were working to help secure basement boilers and aid in cleanup at businesses in Maplewood Village.
This story will be updated.
