A body found Monday in the Tennessee River in North Alabama is suspected to be that of missing Chattanooga man Nick Callegari, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
Callegari, 40, has been missing since New Year's Day and was last seen around 5 p.m. on security camera footage leaving Champy's on M.L. King Boulevard in Chattanooga. His family made several posts on social media asking for the public to help with finding him when he didn't come home, since he had recently been diagnosed with epilepsy.
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The medical examiner is working to identify the body, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
"The body is still waiting to be positively identified. We are not releasing names," Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen said in a telephone interview. "But we suspect it may be him - still, we cannot confirm that until the medical examiner finishes his report."
Harnen said the initial observation of the body did not indicate any foul play.
A fisherman found the body near a cove near Scottsboro, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.
Harnen added it was tough to know exactly how long the body had been in the river because cold weather could have preserved the body.
"There's no way to know exactly how long [it has been]. It could have been last week, or it could have been before then," Harnen said.
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The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has coordinated its investigation with the Chattanooga Police Department.
"CPD was notified of a body located in Jackson County, Alabama. As is standard procedure, we check that against any open missing persons cases we have," Jeremy Eames, the public information officer for the department, said in an email. "However, we won't know or be able to confirm anything until an official identification is made on the body by a medical examiner."
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"We're not ready," Nick Callegari's mother, Lisa Callegari, said when asked for comment in a Wednesday phone call.
Nick Callegari's wife, Lauren Baird Callegari, appeared to have suspended all of her social media accounts as of Wednesday.
Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.