Woman’s Body Found 2 Weeks After She Disappeared from Riverboat Cruise While Celebrating 21st Birthday

Tamia Taylor went missing after coming to Memphis to celebrate her birthday with friends on Sept. 9, police said

The body of a 21-year-old woman who went missing along the Mississippi River while on a riverboat birthday cruise earlier this month has been discovered, according to police.

Tamia Taylor vanished after coming to Memphis to celebrate her birthday with friends on Sept. 9, the Memphis Police Department said in their initial news release.

"Miss Taylor boarded the Island Queen Booze Cruise at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, September 9, 2023, but was not seen by her companions after the boat returned to the dock and everyone offloaded," police wrote in the Sept. 12 release. "There were two exits on the boat for patrons to offload at the conclusion of the ride."

"Early Sunday morning, Miss Taylor's mother drove to Memphis to file a missing person report after several unsuccessful attempts were made to contact her by phone," police added.

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The Memphis Police Department said in a release on Saturday that police were "assisting the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department in the investigation of a body that was recovered on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River."

On Wednesday, the department confirmed to PEOPLE that the 21-year-old's body had been found and positively identified.

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Police said Wednesday that they are awaiting autopsy results, but ABC affiliate WATN-TV and Fox affiliate WHBQ-TV reported that the Crittenden County coroner confirmed her death was due to drowning.

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What preceded Taylor entering the water remains unclear at this time. PEOPLE could not immediately reach the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office for comment.

In a previous statement, Memphis Riverboats said they had "no reason to believe she could have gone overboard."

"We can confirm from video footage circling around that she was last seen on the boat as the boat was pulling into the Harbor, where we dock our boats," they wrote. "We hope she is found safe and returns home."

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The Dock Ellis Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the families of missing minority women, said on Facebook on Tuesday that it was "truly heartbroken" by the tragic discovery.

"Debra Taylor and her family are truly [grateful] for your thoughts and prayers," the foundation added. "Dock Ellis Foundation is asking everyone to please allow the family time to heal. We will all carry Tamia Taylor in our hearts."

"Tamia Taylor your life we honour, your departure we accept, your memory we cherish," the organization continued. "And although there is grief today as we say goodbye, there is gratitude for your life."

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