Officials: Woman Found in River Drowned

THUNDERBOLT, Ga. – Initial results of an autopsy done on a body pulled from the Wilmington River showed that the woman most likely suffered an accidental drowning, authorities said Tuesday.

Officials were still trying to determine whether the body was that of Cindy Lynch (search), a Thunderbolt, Ga., woman who vanished Jan. 18 after an apparent argument with her husband. They told reporters "it probably is her" although they said they had to wait for an analysis of dental records.

Lynch, 42, was last seen by a security guard in the parking lot of the Thunderbolt Marina (search), where she had been living with her husband on their yacht.

Police divers pulled the body around 7:40 p.m. Monday from the Wilmington River. It matches the description of the blond-haired, blue-eyed beautician and was found about 30 yards from the couple's yacht.

Fred Beason, owner of the Bottom Line Echo Company (search), spotted the body at the bottom of the river on his sonar late Monday afternoon.

Police notified Lynch's husband, Chet, and her sister, Connie Mercer, about the recovery.

Lynch's family and friends have told police that she and her husband were having marital problems and were arguing the night she disappeared.

Mercer told FOX News last week that her sister's marriage to Chet Lynch was "very rocky."

"There were some things going on, and some personal things that she had talked with her family about," Mercer said. "When they last had spoken, they had a discussion. I'm not going to call it a fight. They had a discussion about some issues that were going on."

Mercer didn't elaborate on the nature of the issues in their marriage.

Lynch's daughter, Zaid Greenway, told FOX she believes Chet Lynch could be involved in her mother's disappearance.

"I think her husband had something to do with it," Greenway told FOX last week. "Several comments that he's made, his attitude toward it ... lead me to believe that he's done something with her."

Chet Lynch has admitted that he and his wife had problems, and also characterized their encounter the night she vanished as a "discussion," but told FOX he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

He said he has cooperated fully with police, passed a lie detector test and was cleared by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. None of those statements could immediately be corroborated.

Chet Lynch told FOX he believes his wife was the victim of a tragic accident and fell in the water. He said she was wearing high heels the night she disappeared.

"Cindy and I love each other. She loved me. I loved her very dearly," he said. "We had our ups and downs, just like every married couple does, but we love each other."

FOX News' Catherine Donaldson-Evans, Greta Van Susteren, Jonathan Serrie, David Lewkowict and The Associated Press contributed to this report.