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Dakota James' cause of death released

Dakota James, whose body was found in the Ohio River, drowned accidentally, the medical examiner said Thursday.

The 23-year-old North Side man was last seen Jan. 25 in downtown Pittsburgh. Surveillance video showed him walking in Katz Plaza that night. When he didn't show up for work at J.B. Hunt, company officials called authorities.

Search crews and hundreds of volunteers spent weeks searching for James. His body was found in March on the banks of the Ohio River in Robinson Township.

James, who was originally from Maryland, had lived in Pittsburgh since August 2015, when he moved to the area to earn his Master of Business Administration at Duquesne University.

James' parents were very active in the effort to find him, traveling from Maryland to Pittsburgh to participate in and organize searches.

After his death, James’ mother, Pamela, posted an emotional tribute to her son on Facebook.

She said her son “is now in the arms of God and those family members who have passed before us." and the morning rain “was the many tears that were being shed over the loss of my sweet baby."

"As his mother I will never be able to express in words well enough how much I loved him. From his sweet little baby hands to the wonderful man he was becoming. People who did not have the opportunity to meet him, truly missed out,” Pamela James wrote.

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage. 

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