Nicole Robinson

Eau Claire Fire Department personnel pulled the body of a former UW-Eau Claire student from the Chippewa River south of the Lake Street bridge at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a police report.

The report said Jesse P. Miller, 21, was last seen around 3:26 a.m. on the shoreline beneath the Lake Street bridge.

There is no evidence the man was under the influence of alcohol or that it was an act of suicide, said Tim Golden, detective sergeant of the Eau Claire Police Department.

Witnesses from above spotted him, flagged down a police car and told officers the man’s intentions were unclear, he said.

Police began to question him, Golden said, and upon doing so, Miller began moving further into the river until they lost sight of him.

According to the report, Miller told police “You have no idea what’s going on” before he moved further into the water.

“They had officers along the whole east shore wherever they could get at when this was going on,” Golden said. “Nobody could get him in their flashlights and see him anymore after a couple of minutes. Our assumption is that he did go under and was not able to get himself to shore.”

After the incident, he said, volunteers were searching the shoreline and found Miller’s clothing, which consisted of socks, shoes, boxer shorts, pants and a shirt.

Golden said in the clothing was Miller’s identification; he was an Eau Claire resident, but not a current university student.

Miller was enrolled last semester, said Jodi Thesing-Ritter, associate dean of student development.

The last time he had contact with his friends, Golden said, was at 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

Duane Grunst, the battalion chief of the Eau Claire Fire Department, said after the incident occurred, boats were launched onto the river.

Around 8 a.m. Saturday, boats using drag hooks combed the bottom of the river.

Numerous efforts were used Sunday to find Miller, he said, including cameras under the boats and airplanes. The planes were able to see 6 feet beneath the surface water.

An autopsy is scheduled for today, according to a police report.