A procession of first responders escorted the body of Buffalo Police Officer Craig Lehner to the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo Tuesday afternoon.
The officer’s body was recovered from the Niagara River after five days of searching. Buffalo Police Lt. Jeff Rinaldo says it took longer than they’d hoped, but they accomplished their mission.
Mayor Byron Brown said these have been painful days for his city. He and Buffalo Police officials gave their thanks for officers from dozens of police and rescue agencies from the U.S. and Canada who came to assist Buffalo divers.
Officer Lehner was lost during a training dive in the Niagara on Friday afternoon. A line holding him to a tender broke and he was swept away.