This story has been updated to reflect breaking news
Northwestern University officials confirmed at a press conference the body of Harsha Maddula, an 18-year-old chemical engineering student who's been missing for five days, has been found.
At approximately 7:00 p.m. Thursday, a fisherman discovered a body floating in Wilmette Harbor, close to the location Maddula was last seen, a source at the harbor told The Huffington Post. The fisherman alerted authorities who promptly removed it to a nearby Coast Guard station. Local ABC affiliate WLS also reported that a body had been found in the area where divers had been searching for Maddula.
Maddula's wallet containing his Northwestern ID card and his mobile phone were found on the body. According to a press release, Wilmette Police investigators said there were no signs of foul play on the body.
In an interview, a worker at the harbor told HuffPost, "You could tell it was a male in his 20s." He added, "this is not the first body we've seen here."
"On behalf of Northwestern University, I extend our deepest sympathies to Harsha's family and to his many friends at Northwestern. Our hearts and thoughts are with them," University President Morton Schapiro added in a statement. "The loss of one member of the Northwestern community deeply affects us all."
Harsha Maddula was last seen leaving an off-campus party with friends early Saturday morning.
Earlier this week Maddula's father expressed a belief that his son had been kidnapped, according to Fox News. On Wednesday, the family announced a $25,000 reward for tips leading to the 18-year-old's whereabouts.
Spokesmen for the Northwestern University Police did not immediately return calls for comment from HuffPost.
CORRECTION: Following a variety of reports, Maddula was previously described as a "pre-med" student. A representative at Northwestern confirmed to HuffPost that he was majoring in chemical engineering.
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