A body recovered from Brighton Dam in Brookeville has been identified as a 24-year-old Howard County man who had been reported missing Aug. 16.

The autopsy report lists the cause of death as a drowning, and the manner of death to be suicide, said Linda Thomas, of the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore.

On Aug. 16 at about 5:30 a.m., the man’s vehicle was located, unoccupied, on the Brighton Dam Bridge in Brookeville. Montgomery County Fire/Rescue responded to the scene and conducted a search of Tridelphia Reservoir with the assistance of county K-9s and Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission investigators but did not locate the man, county police said. A missing persons alert was issued by county police.

Police said they had received information that the man may have intended to harm himself. Foul play was not suspected.

On Aug. 24, a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission worker spotted a body floating in the water of Brighton Dam at about noon. Montgomery County Fire/Rescue, Sandy Spring Volunteer Fire Department, Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, and Montgomery County police responded to recover the body.

SSVFD Chief George Brown said the SSVFD had spent all day on Aug. 18 doing an extensive shore and surface search.

“After that, until the body was located, we made a concerted effort to go back out and check the area every day,” he said. “We really weren’t sure what we were dealing with. “He left his car running and a suicide note, but we weren’t sure if he was in the water or not.”

thogan@gazette.net