An Ocean County man who went missing during a trip to New Orleans in January has been found dead, according to local organizers who conducted a search for the man.
Michael “Mordy” Gelfand, 33, of Jackson, was found in the Mississippi River on Friday, according to Nathan Ginsbury, organizer of a group on Long Island that had offered a $10,000 reward for his safe return.
“He was found. There’s nothing more I can say,” said Ginsbury, who flew to New Orleans to help with the search.
A member of the search group, who declined to give her name, said a funeral was held for Gelfand on Tuesday but that a cause of death was not immediately made public.
Yeshiva World News reported that Gelfand “perished in a tragic accident in New Orleans” and called the death “a terrible mishap.” A spokesman for the New Orleans Coroner’s Office did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Wednesday.
Gelfand, a father of four, went missing on Jan. 5 after telling his wife he was flying to New Orleans for a one-night business trip, according to Pix11.com. He texted his wife the next day to tell her he was on his way home be he never made it, according to the report.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.