A man’s body was recovered from the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park on Sunday afternoon, according to park manager Ken Bisbee.
The body was spotted by hikers on the Great Allegheny Passage between Confluence and Ohiopyle around 3:45 p.m. He appeared to be a fisherman, Bisbee said.
In a social media post, Fayette County coroner Bob Baker identified the man as Paul Baluch, 55. Baker said the preliminary cause of death is drowning.
Baker said the case is under current investigation, with an autopsy to be performed. Baluch’s next of kin has been notified.
Rangers from Ohiopyle, Laurel Hill and Forbes State Forest worked with Ohiopyle firefighters, state police and the Fayette County Coroner’s Office to remove Baluch’s body from the water. Confluence is southeast of Ohiopyle and the section of river is known as the Middle Yough.
