Man Found Dead By Canal After Being Presumed Missing
The search for a New York man presumed to be missing came to a conclusion Tuesday afternoon, February 21, when his body was discovered on the riprap of the Cape Cod Canal.
The Bourne Police Department announced via Facebook on Tuesday that the department was actively searching for a possible missing person, identified as Matthew Chamberlain, a 60-year-old white man from Locust Valley, New York. Mr. Chamberlain is believed to have parked his truck in the parking lot of the Bourne Recreation Area under the Bourne Bridge on the Cape side on Monday evening, February 20, accompanied by his two dogs.
Bourne Police responded to a call regarding wet dogs running loose around a truck parked in the Rec Area under the bridge between 8 and 8:30 PM Monday night. At that time, no owner could be located; a note was left with the vehicle and the dogs were brought in for their safety, police said.
By 9 AM Tuesday morning, police returned to the area for a follow-up and discovered that the truck was still parked. It was also determined on Tuesday that one of the two dogs has a microchip, which allowed the police to get in touch with Mr. Chamberlain’s family. From those conversations, authorities learned he may be prone to wandering or could be lost due to medical or mental health reasons.
The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard were contacted to search the waterways, and the Cape Cod Law Enforcement Council Search & Rescue team was contacted to search the heavily wooded areas surrounding the parking lot. Mr. Chamberlain’s body was discovered around 3:30 PM by an Environmental Police boat.
Now that the body has been recovered, Bourne police said it will work with the Massachusetts State Police and the Office of the Medical Examiner to investigate.