Pence calls mother of Buffalo police diver who died

Vice President Pence on Tuesday called the mother of Buffalo police diver Craig Lehner, whose body was recovered after he went missing during a training exercise last week.

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Pence offered Lehner’s mother his condolences while heading toward Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday, according to a pool report. Pence also made calls to Buffalo’s deputy police commissioner and mayor.

Lehner, 34, a member of the Buffalo Police Underwater Recovery Team, went missing on Friday during a routine exercise in the Niagara river after his tender cable became detached, according to WBFO.

Lehner’s body was later recovered on Tuesday, WBFO reported. The cause of death wasn’t clear from initial reports.

It is unclear if Pence called the officer’s mother before or after Lehner’s body was discovered. 

Pence’s call comes after President Trump suggested in a press conference Monday that former President Obama did not call the families of fallen service members, a claim disputed by top members of the previous administration.