Date: 16 Tevet 5575
From: Rabbi Moshe Sofer
To: Neustadt an der Waag
A woman's drowned husband was retrieved from the river and unanimously identified by both formal witnesses and the general public, his features entirely unchanged. The Chasam Sofer distinguishes formal testimony from public visual recognition (tevi'as ayin), arguing the latter is even more powerful and eliminates the Rif's concern of b'didmei under all opinions. He permits the woman to remarry, conditioned on Rabbi Deutsch's concurrent agreement.
Source: Shu"t Chasam Sofer EH II §142