An apparent drowning on the Staunton River Saturday has many folks wondering what happened. Investigators spent hours searching Saturday and Sunday for 32 year old Jerry Conner of Halifax County. Conner was participating in Fun Float Day on the Staunton River.

Conservation Police believe he fell from his canoe and most likely drowned. Police say Jerry Conner fell and never resurfaced Saturday afternoon -- the search was on.

Sgt. Chris Thomas, Conservation Police - "Boat searches, looking. We also had a private citizen in a helicopter that did some flights over trying to look into the water."

But storms and nightfall put off the search until Sunday morning. Crews found Conner's body four miles upstream from Brookneal, near where he fell.

Erik Callands - "It kind of shocked me, so many people around."

There were thousands of people around. That's because Conner fell during the popular Fun Float event.

Callands - "Just drop in to Long Island, float down to Brookneal, have a good time."

Mary Robertson, Helped Organize Event - "I think everybody is really sad about it, and concerned. We have that it happened. We really don't know what happened."

What they do know is this is highly unusual.

Thomas - "I have been stationed in this area since 1994 and this is the first drowning we have had in this event."

Callands - "I never would have expected anything like that to happen."

Police are waiting on autopsy results for an official word on Conner's death.