A San Francisco radio host has been found dead in the water off Pier 39 after he went missing last month, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Thursday.
Jeffrey Vandergrift, a host at the Bay Area hit music radio station Wild 94.9, was last seen on Feb. 23 at his home on King Street before going missing with no activity on his phone, credit cards or bank accounts.
By early March, Vandergrift’s wife and employer said they believed he wouldn’t be coming back.
“My heart is utterly broken, and the pain feels unbearable,” his wife, Natasha Yi, wrote in a March 1 Instagram post.
Officers who recovered the body found no sign of foul play, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
On Thursday, fans, friends and colleagues of the popular radio DJ took to Twitter to mourn his passing, with many writing that he had served as a familiar and comforting presence in their lives for years.
JV was a huge part in my recovery journey.. he was there for me every morning I was on my way to the methadone clinic.. he never knew how much he meant to me. this is extremely heartbreaking to me. RIP JV 💔 https://t.co/f1luomJb5t
— Jo saw Chappell 🥺✨ (@withlovejohana) March 23, 2023
Prior to his disappearance, Vandergrift had detailed a struggle with Lyme disease in a series of blog updates. He wrote that he had begun experiencing brain fog, dizziness, headaches and other troubling symptoms starting in 2021, leading to an eventual diagnosis. He spoke candidly about his struggles with the illness on his morning show, The JV Show.
Fans and friends have placed flowers and memorabilia outside the iHeartRadio offices in San Francisco honoring the Bay Area radio icon.
