Friends believe body pulled from Milwaukee River is Oak Creek HS graduate





Quentin Brouchoud



MILWAUKEE -- A missing Milwaukee man is believed to be the person whose body was pulled from the Milwaukee River Thursday morning, Sept. 20.

Friends say 29-year-old Jonathon Hayes was barhopping in the area Sunday night, Sept. 16 into early Monday morning. That was the last time anyone saw or heard from him.

"That river's pretty scary, especially for people to be walking by at that time of night, intoxicated," said Quentin Brouchoud.

Brouchoud said his friend of more than a decade was out at McGillicudy's with a group of people around 2:30 a.m. Monday. It's unclear what happened next, but Brouchoud said the usually-reliable Hayes never showed up to work later that day and wasn't answering his phone.

Jonathon Hayes



McGillicudy's



With his family out-of-state, friends immediately called police and began looking for him.

"Because Jon was never the type of person to just go MIA like that," said Brouchoud.





Brouchoud's worst fear was confirmed Thursday morning, when a body was pulled from the water near the bar district, Water Street and Clybourn Streets.

"I'm hurting for his family for the most part because I just know how much they meant to him and how much he means to them," said Brouchoud.

Brouchoud remembered his Oak Creek High School classmate as someone whose words always had a purpose.



"He was very soft spoken, but when he had something to say, it was usually significant," said Brouchoud.

The loss is a difficult reminder of how suddenly life can be taken away.

"Really hold your people close. Hold your family close and friends close -- because you really never know when they're going to go," said Brouchoud.

The manager at McGillicudy's said police were in the bar Thursday, collecting surveillance footage from that night.

An investigation is ongoing.