What we know about a body found in Jordan Lake near NC 751 bridge

This story was updated Monday, May 18, 2026.

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office on Monday identified a person whose body was found in Jordan Lake on Friday night.

Deputies responded to the area of Jordan Lake near the N.C. 751 bridge at 7 p.m. Friday after receiving a report of a body in the water, the sheriff’s office said.

The person was identified as a man from Chapel Hill. He was found with personal items nearby, including materials that indicate his death may have been self-inflicted, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

His body was sent to the N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh to determine the official cause of death, the release said.

This story was originally published May 16, 2026 at 1:36 PM.

Twumasi Duah-Mensah

The News & Observer

(919) 283-1187

Twumasi Duah-Mensah is a Breaking News Reporter for The News & Observer. He began at The N&O as a summer intern on the metro desk. Triangle born and Tar Heel bred, Twumasi has bylines for WUNC, NC Health News and the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media. Send him tips and good tea places at (919) 283-1187.