LABADIEVILLE, La. - The body of an Assumption Parish man who was reported missing on Monday was found on some rock jetties near the beach in Grand Isle, according to the parish's sheriff's office.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said that it is believed that Michael Blanchard, 51, died from drowning, but that an autopsy would determine what occurred. Blanchard's body was taken to the Jefferson Parish coroner's office for examination.
The spokesperson said that friends and family reported Blanchard missing when he didn't show up for work on Monday and they couldn't reach him on his cell phone or at his residence.
Detectives 'pinged' Blanchard's phone and that led them to Grand Isle where they found his vehicle parked at a public beach access point.
With help from the Grand Isle Fire Department, the JPSO and the U.S. Coast Guard, Blanchard's body was found near nightfall near the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
