Water From Ruptured Hydrant Washes Body Out of a Drain

A badly decomposed body washed out of a storm drain in Anaheim on Wednesday after a car hit a hydrant, sending water gushing into the drain, police said.

The body was believed to have been in the drain for about three or four months, according to Anaheim Police Sgt. Chet Barry.

“That’s an educated guess,” he added.

Investigators said there was no immediate indication of foul play. “There’s nothing obvious at this point,” Barry said. “Of course, that’s pending an autopsy.”

The coroner’s office will perform an autopsy today,.

A car hit the hydrant at about 12:15 p.m. in the 1700 block of South Walnut Street. The impact sent water gushing down the street and into the drain. About 30 minutes later, a passer-by found the body, which had been washed into a nearby flood-control channel near the 1500 block of West Katella Avenue.

Barry said investigators have not positively determined the gender or race of the dead person, but he added: “We are reasonably sure it was a male.”

Police plan to send information about the body to missing-persons units in the area, Barry said.

“If we don’t come across any information in the near future, we might have to extend that,” he said.