Silver Alert Canceled After Body Recovery in Russian River
JENNER, Calif. — A Silver Alert was canceled on Saturday after the body of 74-year-old Clifford Souza was recovered from his submerged pickup truck in the Russian River. Souza had been reported missing two days earlier.
Souza was last seen on Thursday in Gualala, an unincorporated community in Mendocino County. He had planned to drive to Martinez and return to Gualala that night, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. When he failed to return, authorities issued a Silver Alert.
The California Highway Patrol responded to a report of a submerged vehicle off state Highway 1, north of state Highway 116, at approximately 2:31 p.m. on Saturday. A preliminary investigation indicated that Souza’s Ford Ranger had veered off the roadway and into the river.
The incident comes as another serious traffic accident occurred in Sonoma County on the same day. A head-on collision resulted in one fatality and two injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol. Details of this separate crash remain under investigation, and authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the CHP’s Santa Rosa office.
The recovery of Souza’s body brought closure to the search efforts that had been underway since his disappearance was reported. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated by the relevant authorities.
