Fairfax County Police confirm to FOX 5 a body believed to be missing Second Lieutenant Frank Stecco was found. Positive identification is pending an autopsy by a medical examiner.
Chief of Police Colonel David Rohrer was notifying Steccos family this afternoon.
Officer Steccos body will be put into an ambulance and will be escorted out of the park by Police Motorcycle escorts.
Crime scene technicians will be photographing and gathering evidence for an investigation.
Officer Stecco, a 19 year veteran of the force, disappeared Tuesday during a training exercise in Pohick Bay. He was a volunteer role player in a helicopter water rescue exercise when it happened just before 3 p.m.
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Body of Missing Fairfax Police Officer Recovered
[SIZE=-1]By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 25, 2008; 2:14 PM
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The body of a missing Fairfax County police officer was found today in Pohick Bay four days after he disappeared during a training exercise, officials said.
Lt. Francis J. Stecco's body was discovered after an intensive search that included rescue boats and divers from 10 jurisdictions as well as the FBI and the Coast Guard, authorities said. Dogs trained to detect human scent on the water had assisted as well.
"Frank was a real character and people loved him," said Mary Ann Jennings, director of public information for Fairfax County police. "He had a lot of friends. He was so full of life that nobody expected this."
Stecco, 42, had volunteered to participate in the exercise Tuesday. Though he was not a member of the police dive team, he had dive training in the military, authorities said.
The exercise was designed for the police helicopter unit in the bay, which is bordered by Mason Neck and Fort Belvoir in southeastern Fairfax.
Jennings said divers confirmed the discovery at about 12:30 p.m. today.
Stecco, married and the father of three, spent much of his career in the Mount Vernon district and most recently served as a supervisor in the Youth Services Division. He had been honored twice for heroism.
Officers were investigating the scene, trying to determine what happened to Stecco, Jennings said. His body was to be taken to the county medical examiner's officer later today.