Body found in river treated as suspicious death

Otago's Clutha river. Photo / Stephen Russell

Police from Christchurch and Wellington will today join an investigation into the death of a man found in the Clutha River in south Otago yesterday.

The body was found about 3pm by a river user, and was removed late last night.

Police said earlier that the death was being treated as suspicious as the circumstances surrounding the discovery were unusual.

Investigation head Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham said the body had been taken to Dunedin, where a post mortem will be held later today.

The Police Dive team from Wellington will join the investigation later today to check the river area near Stirling where the body was found, and specialist search team staff from Christchurch are also involved.

They will team up with several police investigators based at Balclutha who are carrying out enquiries at the scene and nearby.

A no-fly zone which had been imposed around the crime scene has been lifted.

- NZPA