Photographs of Cheryl Reda's tattoos on social media led to tips that helped State Police identify her.
New Jersey State Police have identified the woman whose body was found in the water at 57th Street Beach as Cheryl Reda, 47, of Ocean City.
Her cause of death has been ruled by the S
outhern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office as drowning and the manner of death has not been yet determined, police said.
"The investigation is ongoing, but the death is not considered suspicious and there were no obvious signs of trauma to the victim," according to a release from police.
Police said two distinctive photos of the Reda's tattoos posted on the State Police Facebook page and on media throughout the region helped identify the woman.
"Very quickly our community gave us the info we needed to identify the victim and contact her family," police said.
The woman's Facebook page suggests she is a grandmother, a 1986 graduate of Cardinal Dougherty High School, native of Philadelphia and one-time resident of Cape May.
An Ocean City man out on his stand-up paddleboard
found Reda's fully-clothed body floating in the water off 57th Street on Tuesday afternoon.
She wore jeans, a nice pullover top and jewelry.
“She looked like she was out for the night,” the paddleboarder, Bob Faustman, said.
The State Police Major Crimes Unit, Missing Persons Unit, Cape May Prosecutor’s Office and the Ocean City Police responded to the scene.
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