Detectives at the Haywood County Sheriff's Office are investigating what appears to be an accidental drowning after finding a local man's body in the river Monday.

They identified the body of 36-year-old Shannon Dewayne Williams, which had washed against some rocks from the swift current of the river.

"From the stories we’re getting, he went missing possibly the 22nd or 23rd (of December) and no one reported him until the 26th because it was not unusual for him to be away from his friends," said Chief Deputy Larry Bryson.

After talking with several of Williams' friends, deputies were unable to locate him. They eventually tracked his cell phone to the end of Jonathan Creek Monday and began a search.

After an unsuccessful search on foot, a helicopter spotted the body and the Jonathan Creek ...