Man's body recovered from Big River

BYRNES MILL, Mo. (AP) -- Firefighters on Monday recovered the body of a south St. Louis County man from the Big River in Jefferson County.

The victim was identified as Perry Pettus, 44.

Missouri State Water Patrol spokesman Lou Amighetti said the man had been in and out of the water with friends who were swimming, when he went missing Sunday afternoon.

Amighetti said the death has not been ruled a drowning pending results of an autopsy. High Ridge firefighters found the body at 9:45 a.m. Monday about 25 feet from where the man was last seen.

A type of dam that resembles a small waterfall operates in the area. Amighetti said there's no word if that contributed to the death, but said swimmers need to exercise caution around those types of circulating waters.

The Big River is a tributary of the Meramec River.