Body found in Brays Bayou belongs to father in town for baby's transplant, medical examiner says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A body found in Brays Bayou does indeed belong to that of a missing 28-year-old father from Oklahoma who was in town for his baby's surgery, a medical examiner confirmed.

On Tuesday, ABC13 confirmed that just before 1 p.m., a body was found in the bayou near MacGregor Park, where Texas EquuSearch crews had been looking for Ridge Cole.

Cole's cause of death is still pending.

EquuSearch coordinated with homicide detectives for a joint search, but as EquuSearch waited for authorities, they went out to find the fastest route to the bayou. Within 10 minutes, they spotted something.

Cole and his family arrived in Houston two weeks ago as his 13-month-old baby boy was set to undergo a liver transplant. Cole, his mother, wife, and son were staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. He had been last seen on Nov.11 in the 1900 block of Holcombe Boulevard in the Texas Medical Center, according to Texas EquuSearch.

Tim Miller, who founded Texas EquuSearch, said Cole had gone for a walk along Brays Bayou, where some of his belongings were found.

"He somehow slipped into the bayou. It's a terrible vertical ledge, and we found personal effects on the bank where he had been sitting, and it really pointed to that he had entered the water," Mark Edwards, with Texas EquuSearch, said.

Tuesday was when a volunteer team found his body 3.5 miles from where they believe Cole fell. By Friday, a medical examiner confirmed it was Cole's body.

The family came to Houston for life-saving surgery for their child, but will now return home without their father. Despite this, they still find gratitude in their hearts.

"They sent me with a message to thank everybody, the media, Houston Police Department, and missing person's detectives. They thank Texas EquuSearch. Genuine, genuine thanks to the City of Houston and the Ronald McDonald House, they have been so hospitable," Edwards said.