Authorities have identified the Manitowoc man who died last Friday night in the Manitowoc River as 26-year-old Jeffrey L. Pagel.
Police say that Pagel’s car left the roadway on Maritime Drive about 7:00 PM and hit the parked unit in the Baymont Inn parking lot before entering the river.
Rescue efforts by nearby kayakers and MPD officer Matt Klein were unable to save the man prior to the Manitowoc County Dive team finding the car in the murky water later Friday evening and Pagel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Manitowoc County Coroner Curtis Green says drugs and alcohol are not suspected to be a contributing factor however a pre-existing condition may have contributed to the accident.
An autopsy is scheduled for today at the Fond Du Lac County Coroner’s Office with results to take approximately 8 to 12 weeks.
An “ongoing investigation” continues by Coroner’s Office and the Manitowoc Police Department.
