The body of Wall Street Journal reporter David Bird has been found in a New Jersey river, ending a 14-month long search.

Although questions concerning his death remain unanswered, the Bird family has closure after more than a year of worry.

According to NJ.com, two men canoeing on the Passaic River discovered Bird's body. They spotted his red jacket and contacted Bernards Township police, who began a countywide operation, involving police from various towns. His body was discovered only more than a mile from his home.

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Long Hill Township Police Chief Michael Mazzeo announced on Thursday that they had found Bird's body. They said Dr. Carlos A Fonseca of the Morris County Medical Examiner's Office and forensic odontologist Mitchell M. Kirshbaum identified his body with dental records and an investigation continues into the cause of death.

Bird, a resident of Long Hill in Morris County, disappeared more than 14 months ago. At the time of his disappearance, hundreds of people and various police agencies searched for the reporter, who had only gone on a walk, leaving behind important medication and his cell phone.

On a website recently launched by the family to aid in the search and provide information, a family spokesperson released a statement, saying they are "deeply saddened" by the news.

"The Bird family would like to thank the many members of law enforcement, especially Chief Michael Mazzeo and the Long Hill Township Police Department, for their tireless efforts to find David," wrote family friend and spokesperson Carolyn Buscarino. "They would also like to thank the countless friends, neighbors and strangers who have prayed for David and for the family over the past 14 months."

Buscarino added that the family had not finalized funeral arrangements.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Bird, 55, had been working with Dow Jones, owner of the Wall Street Journal, since 1980s, reporting on energy markets and covering OPEC.

"David Bird was a long-standing and valued member of the Dow Jones newsroom, and we are deeply saddened to learn today of his death," said the Journal's Editor-in-chief Gerald Baker. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

He had received a liver transplant a decade ago. He leaves behind his wife Nacy and two children, his son Alex and daughter Natasha.