BIDDEFORD — Police have identified Darrell L. Hoerl, 39, of Cutts Street in Biddeford as the man whose body was recovered in the Saco River off Horrigan’s Court on Thursday.

Hoerl’s cause of death is still undetermined, according to Biddeford Deputy Police Chief JoAnne Fisk. After the body was recovered, it was taken to the Maine State Medical Examiner’s office, where the cause of death is under investigation, she said.

On Thursday, at about 8:30 p.m., Biddeford Police received a 911 call from a resident at Horrigan’s Court, reporting that two men jumped or fell from the “Black Bridge” railroad trestle, said Fisk.

From the trestle, the drop to the river below is about 100 feet, she said.

One man swam to shore.

Rebecca Quimby told the Journal Tribune Friday that she was fishing on the riverbank Thursday evening when her husband, Peter Quimby, and Hoerl came down to socialize with her. The two had been drinking, she said, and her husband suggested that they jump off the bridge, even though Hoerl said he could not swim.

“He kept saying I can’t swim, I can doggy paddle, but then I sink to the bottom,” she said.

Hoerl resurfaced after the jump, she said, and “he got up all excited, wanted to do it again.” But soon thereafter, he started gurgling and struggling in the water, she said.

Quimby, who said she also doesn’t swim, said she jumped into the river and stood on a rock about 15 feet away, trying to aid Hoerl.

“I was trying to get him to get on his back and swim over to me,” she said. “I couldn’t help him, but I tried.”

Fisk said the police investigation into the incident is ongoing and she could not comment on the circumstances that led to Hoerl’s death.

Biddeford police, fire and EMS and Saco fire department responders searched the area extensively on foot and using rescue boats, according to Fisk. The Maine Warden Service and Maine State Police were called to assist with the search.

A diver with the state police retrieved Hoerl’s body from the Saco River at about 11:30 p.m.

“That’s a very dangerous spot,” said Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Duross, who said there are logs and branches in the river at that spot where people can become injured.

“We’ve had issues with the Black Bridge before,” said Fisk.

In the past, people have been injured and even drowned at that spot, she said.

“No one should be jumping off that bridge,” said Fisk because there is a large drop to the river and the water isn’t very deep.

“Train crews see almost daily situations where individuals are on or too close to the tracks, putting themselves in danger,” said Fred Hirsch, state coordinator of Maine Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to preventing similar rail-related incidents.

“Fishing or jumping from trestles is a common occurrence,” he said.

Thursday’s tragedy was an incidence of railroad trespassing, said Hirsch, which is both dangerous and illegal.

Hoerl’s death is the second fatal incident on railroad property in Maine this year, said Hirsch.

The other fatality that occurred earlier this year also took place in Biddeford, not far from the Black Bridge. On April 16, Biddeford resident Sean Page, 40, was killed while crossing a railroad track near Main Street when he was struck by the Amtrak Downeaster train, which was traveling from Portland to Boston.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com. Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski contributed to this story.