Missing fisherman found dead in Delaware River in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A family is looking for answers after a missing fisherman was pulled from the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia on Thursday.

Chopper 6 was overhead around 3:30 p.m. as marine units found the victim near the Linden Avenue boat ramp.

He has been identified by family as 42-year-old Darnell Dogan.

"Oh my God, this is so hard. This is so hard," said Dogan's mother, Juanita Johnson.

Video from Chopper 6, which we are not airing, showed some kind of material around Dogan's wrists.

Police say an autopsy will now be conducted and homicide investigators are working the case.

Dogan, who was an avid fisherman from Frankford, was on a boat in the river with several people late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Family members say he was on the boat with people he didn't know.

"That's when family members believe the body, the 42-year-old, either went missing from that location or fell off the boat, we're not sure," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

By Wednesday afternoon, Dogan's family reported him missing. Police say when that missing persons report was filed, detectives spoke with the people who were on the boat with him. They plan to speak with those people again.

"He was just down here fishing. That's it. So I don't understand it," said Johnson.

Johnson says her family suspected foul play all along. She is asking that if someone hurt her son to turn themselves in.

"That's my baby boy. Nothing is going to fix this. Not time. None of that," she added.

At this time, police aren't sure if the boaters Dogan was with called for help.

Action News spoke with a man who saw Dogan fishing hours before we went missing.

"Just one guy, he showed up with his buddy. It's sad - he was sitting right on the corner of that dock there," the man said. "God bless him, I don't know what happened. That's what I'm trying to find out. What happened?"

Sources tell Action News that officials are waiting on the cause of death from the medical examiner's office.

Anyone with information is asked to call or text police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).