CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC)– Two friends decided to go fishing in the Swift Creek Reservoir Wednesday morning, where they later discovered a body face down in the water.
Chesterfield residents and friends 18-year-old Chase Nicely and 23-year-old D.J. Corning call the reservoir their “little paradise.” So naturally, Nicely decided to visit when he had the day off for his 18th birthday.
Nicely and Corning call themselves avid fishermen, and consider being out on the boat a lifestyle.
Nicely said he picked up Corning, and the two headed to the reservoir, where they spent several hours enjoying the calm sunny weather, trying to catch fish.
“Yeah. I mean, we were just out here like any other day. We do it every year,” Corning said. ” It was just another day of fishing. We were burning the bank with some ChatterBaits, having a good time.”
Their “little paradise” quickly turned into a nightmare yesterday afternoon.
Corning said it was when their boat turned a corner, that they noticed something from afar that looked like a body. At first, the two thought the body was a scarecrow or a doll.
“It was horrific. We didn’t think it was an actual person,” Nicely said. “I feel bad because no one should go out like that and be seen like that. There’s no telling how long he’s been out here.”
The friends described the unidentified male as decomposed, covered in mud and wearing a red shirt.
Previous Coverage:
- Body recovered from Swift Creek Reservoir in Chesterfield
- Residents concerned body found in Chesterfield reservoir is missing neighbor
“Once we saw flies and stuff, we were like, there’s no reason in the world why something would be attracting flies to it if it wasn’t a real situation,” Corning said. “And that’s when we realized we got to call somebody.”
Chesterfield Police confirmed that they received a call from two people in a boat. Crews responded to the 14700 block of Village Square Place, where investigators pulled the body from the reservoir around 2 p.m.
According to Corning, he and Nicely stayed on the scene answering questions for hours. Our 8News camera was rolling as Corning was speaking with police.
“It’s a shock but at the end of the day, it brings closure to the family,” Nicely said. “So, I’m happy we’re able to do that.”
The two were shocked that this happened in a community that is so friendly and tight-knit. They live nearby and would have never expected this to happen so close to home.
Chesterfield Police said the body has been taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for further identification and cause of death.
