Man is found dead in canal

OREM — A 51-year-old homeless man was found dead Sunday afternoon in a canal that branches off of the Provo River.

The man, who police did not identify pending notification of kin, made his home in a tent in Provo Canyon. He lived in the area several years, supporting himself by collecting cans for recycling.

A fisherman spotted the body lying face down in the canal, which runs past the Olmstead power plant in Orem, and notified police around 1:05 p.m. The body was clearly visible at the bottom of the 4 to 6 foot deep canal, said Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards.

The man was found about 30 feet downstream from the mouth of the canal, which is blocked by a metal grating. It took a diver about 90 minutes to recover the body from the slow-moving water, he said.

"We suspect he went into the water close to where he was found," Edwards said.

Police could not determine Sunday whether foul play was involved. The body did not show obvious signs of trauma, police said. The body was sent to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

The man, who has brown hair and a beard, was fully clothed, including a jacket and a coat. He was carrying identification.