Firefighter finds body of man who went missing in creek

SOUTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. — A firefighter found the body of Dylan Knopsnider, 21, on Sunday.

Knopsnider was swimming with friends at Jacobs Creek in Westmoreland County on Tuesday when he jumped into the water and never resurfaced.

Knopsnider's family shared with Channel 11 their gratitude for the Murrysville Dive Team and Dawson firefighters who helped recover his body.

"He was approximately 300 feet downstream from where he was last seen," said Billy Colbert, chief of Dawson Volunteer Fire Company.

TRENDING NOW:

• 1 person killed in Westmoreland County house fire
• 'Goldbergs' actor Jackson Odell dead at 20
• Cops: Man has stolen $60,000 worth of gas
• VIDEO: Pittsburgh quadruplets have long list of accomplushments

Dawson firefighters, several Allegheny County agencies and the Murrysville Dive Team pulled Knopsnider's body out of the creek near Creek Falls just before 9:30 a.m.

"The hardest part was gaining access to the location of the person," Colbert said. "We had to use side-by-side four wheel vehicles to gain access to where he was at."

Throughout the week, search teams used cadaver dogs and underwater cameras to find Knopsnider.

At times, his family expressed frustration at an apparent miscommunication among the search teams.

First responders told Channel 11 that although Jacobs Creek is a popular hangout spot, it can be dangerous and they're encouraging people not to swim there.

Cox Media Group