A Bainbridge fisherman accidentally drowned in the Susquehanna River on Monday, a coroner said.

The man was identified as Barry Bair, 61, according to county Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni.

"The cause of death was freshwater drowning," Diamantoni said after the autopsy Tuesday. "The manner of death was accidental."

Bair had taken his boat out to go fishing, the coroner said.

Of the accident, the coroner said, "There is a possibility that he was trying to tow in the boat by pulling it. The boat may have had engine problems. There was a rope attached to the boat."

Bair did not have a heart attack, and his body showed no signs of external trauma, the coroner said. But he might have suffered heat exhaustion or fainted or had a cardiac-related event.

It is unknown exactly when Bair drowned, Diamantoni said.

County dispatchers reported at 7:33 p.m. that a boater near Bainbridge was "overdue." Bair had been reported missing by his family, Susquehanna Regional police Chief Ed Haugh said.

Search crews located Bair's body within an hour of their being dispatched, he said.

Bair's body was found 15 to 20 yards from the Bainbridge shore in shallow water, nearly straight out from the Haldeman mansion, Diamantoni said. It was about 100 to 150 yards from the boat, which was slightly upstream.

Bair, who was wearing a life jacket, did not have any passengers, said Eric Levis, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Deputy Coroner Dave Schmidt pronounced Bair dead at the scene at 9:40 p.m., Diamantoni said.

Bainbridge Fire Company spokesman Sean Laverty declined to comment on the incident, citing the Fish and Boat Commission investigation. The commission is leading the investigation, Haugh said.

Foul play is not suspected.

Bair's boat was a 16-foot Starcraft with a 25-horsepower engine, Levis said. He did not release any other information about the incident, saying the investigation was ongoing.

rrobinson@lnpnews.com