Body found after woman swept away in Tokomaru Bay, East Coast

A body has been found after searching for a woman who was washed away in an east coast river this morning.

In a statement released this afternoon, a police spokesman said the body was found by a member of the public who was assisting the police search around 1pm.

However, the spokesman said police could not release the person’s name until they were formally identified.

“The deceased will be referred to the coroner.”

“Police would like to thank everyone who helped.”

Earlier this morning, police issued a statement calling the attention of Tokomaru Bay locals to a woman who was allegedly caught in the Mangahauini River at 11.30am this morning.

The incident took place near the intersection of Twish Road and State Road 35.

State Highway 35 was hit hard after heavy rains and severe flooding, and the road network was torn apart, and a major cleanup took place in March.