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A 51-year-old Orem man was found dead Sunday afternoon in the Provo River near the mouth of Provo Canyon but police don't know whether the death was an accident or foul play.
The white male's body was located in 4 to 6 feet of water by a fisherman at about 1 p.m. in a small branch off of the Provo River near the Olmstead power station, said Lt. Doug Edwards, spokesman for Orem's Department of Public Safety. Edwards identified the man as Thomas Stephen Bowers.
"There were some abrasions and trauma but no obvious signs like a gunshot wound during a cursory look," he said. "We won't know for sure if we're dealing with a homicide or an accident until we get to look at the body closer."
Utah County Search and Rescue team members recovered Bowers' body prior to it being transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Edwards said an autopsy would be conducted on Monday, and investigators may have more information about the cause of death later in the day.
"We're treating it as a crime scene and collecting evidence," he said.
Orem police investigators ruled out the possibility that Bowers' body floated down the river from farther upstream because there was a permanent metal grate at the head of the canal, Edwards said.
Bowers was known by authorities to be homeless and had been living in a tent in the area of Provo Canyon "on his own terms" for several years, he said. Bowers supported himself by collecting recyclable items and turning them in for cash, he said.
"As far as I know, he was living by himself," Edwards said.
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