Thomas Uzmack

SOUTH BUFFALO TWP, Armstrong County — Freeport firefighters on Wednesday recovered the body of a man who disappeared three days earlier while jet skiing in the Allegheny River, authorities said.

Thomas D. Uzmack, 40, of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, was last seen Sunday afternoon operating the recreational watercraft in South Buffalo Township.

Workers for the Army Corps of Engineers on a boat about 9:40 a.m. spotted the body across from the Schenley Marina about 2½ miles down river from where he was last seen, said Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers.

Uzmack died of accidental freshwater drowning, according to the preliminary findings of an autopsy. Myers said he is still waiting for toxicology results.

Uzmack was riding with the 12-year-old son of a family friend about 4:30 p.m. Sunday when he went under the water after the jet ski capsized. The boy managed to swim to shore, state police said.

Uzmack and the boy both were wearing life jackets. However, Uzmack’s jacket apparently was not fastened. Rescuers found it floating on the water shortly after beginning their search.

Authorities noted that a strong rainstorm Sunday afternoon made for a swift current that hampered recovery efforts.

Divers and volunteer firefighters from several area departments including South Buffalo Township and Freeport joined in the three-day search.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Armstrong County Sheriff’s Department also assisted.

Myers praised the rescue-turned-recovery effort.

“A great outpouring of support was received in this search effort from all over Armstrong and surrounding counties,” he said.

Uzmack worked as a field supervisor for Bos Solutions, a Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.