Missing Russian River swimmer found dead Friday

MONTE RIO -- A man who went missing Wednesday while swimming in the Russian River near Monte Rio has been found dead, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office said Sunday.

The missing swimmer, Nasoni Tuitoga, 28, of Santa Rosa, was found Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office said.

Sonoma County sheriff's deputies and Sonoma County Fire District personnel had been searching for the man since receiving a 911 call about 6:17 p.m. Wednesday. The man was last seen near Villa Grande, an unincorporated community located on the river.

Deputies and firefighters were unable to locate the man and called in additional support to help the search, including the Sonoma County Sheriff's Marine Unit, Sonoma County Sheriff Volunteer Dive Team and the Monte Rio Fire Protection District. The search was suspended at dark.

Thursday morning, the search resumed with the Napa County Sheriff's Office's Marine Unit and Dive Team supporting the search efforts with its remote-operated underwater vehicle. The search was once again suspended at dark and resumed Friday.