Officers recovered the body of missing college student Jacob Lavoie from the Minnesota Slip in Canal Park on Friday afternoon.

The Duluth Police Department and St. Louis County Rescue recovered the body at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, according to a press release from the police department.

Authorities and Lavoie's family confirmed that the body belongs to the 21-year-old University of Minnesota Duluth business student, who had been missing since early Sunday morning when he left Grandma's Sports Garden.

Tim Johnson, a cousin of Lavoie's mother and family spokesperson, shared a statement from their family:

“We are devastated by the loss of Jacob. He was our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to law enforcement, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the entire Duluth community, the Inver Grove Heights community, as well as everyone far and wide for your caring and concern in helping us locate Jacob. Now that Jacob has been found, we ask for your prayers, and also ask that you respect our privacy during our time of great loss. Thank you," the statement read.

A GoFundMe site has been set up for Lavoie's family at gofundme.com/f/jacob-lavoie-fund.

Lavoie was just starting his senior year at the university. He cared about his education, going so far as to cancel Labor Day plans to stay in town to work on school projects, Johnson said in an earlier News Tribune interview.

The university's chancellor, Lendley Black, said in a statement: "This is an incredibly sad time. As much as we try to be prepared for something like this, it's extremely difficult. UMD is such a tight community and we're concerned for Jacob's family, his friends on campus, and the faculty and staff that knew him."

In the coming days, Black said the school will reach out to students and share resources with people who are grieving.

Throughout the past week, police encouraged residents and businesses in the Canal Park and downtown and Hillside areas to search their properties and review security camera footage as the search for Lavoie intensified.