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Exclusive: Philadelphia Family Upset With Police Marine Unit's Inaction

By Jericka Duncan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The McGeehan family is upset they lost their loved one, 31-year-old Joseph McGeehan. And some of their anger is directed at the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit.

"The city is supposed to be here to help you and they did absolutely nothing," said Helen McGeehan, the mother of Joseph. McGeehan says she wishes diver did more to find her son in the Delaware River.

On the night of January 7th, Joseph McGeehan, left a bar in Tacony around 10 and disappeared.

"We immediately called police," said the victim's older sister Joan. "We traced from where he was coming from to where he was going to the yacht club. My brother Michael and my father saw the tire tracks leading to the river on Unruh street."

The family asked Orthodox Auto Company, located near the scene of the accident, if they had surveillance from that night. They did. The McGeehan's say they alerted police of their findings Monday January 9th.

"We had to walk the police officers into the building and show them the tape before they were willing to do anything for us," said John McGeehan, the victim's brother.

The police marine divers went into the water the next day, found the victim's Jeep and called off the search. Lt. Ray Evers tells Eyewitness News "Due to poor visibility and multiple abandoned cars in that area, it's a very dangerous dive. We are not going to risk the life of a diver for a recovery."

Two weeks later, a non-profit organization called the Garden State Underwater Recovery Unit, reached out to help the McGeehan's. On Sunday morning they found Joseph's body within an hour, just feet from the shore. It's closure for a family that was desperate to find their loved one. The McGeehan's say they aren't sure how Joseph ended up in the river. They say he was on his way to the Wissonoming Yacht Club, for the first time. Family members believe he made a wrong turn and didn't realize Unruh Avenue leads to the river. 

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