Police identify dead body found in creek
POLICE have identified a man whose body was found lying face down in Ross Creek on Sunday afternoon.
Emergency services rushed to the scene on Ross St, near the Magnetic Island car ferry terminal, where a member of the public spotted a dead body.
Police set up a command post on Ross St.
District duty officer Senior Sergeant Scot Warrick said a member of the public had alerted them to the body y about 5pm.
“They were passing on a boat and observed the body in the mangroves,” he said.
“We’re utilising specialist t skills from the Queensland d Fire and Emergency Services to retrieve the body from the water.”
Sen-sgt Warrick said the body was located in a “difficult and dangerous” position.
“We’re using specialist equipment to do that safely for everyone.”
Police had initially called for members of the public to
notify offi officers if someone that they knew had not come home from a boat trip as planned.
However, a few hours later
police were able to confirm the man’s identity. Sen-sgt Warrick said it was early in the investigation and that police had a lot of leg work to do.
The duty officer said police were “starting from scratch” at the scene, and had no idea of the time frames involved.
Police are not treating the investigation as a homicide and the death is not believed to be suspicious.
Police have also confirmed he is not the missing spearfisher from Cairns.
The passer-by who reported the body alerted the Townsville Coast Guard, which referred the incident into police. The coast guard then kept watch on the scene until police arrived.