Body recovered by river identified, but name won't be released
Police, including members of the major-crime and forensic-identification units, were on scene, with coroner and firefighters
Police, firefighters and other critical personnel recovered a body from the St. John River in Fredericton on Tuesday morning, and the force has identified the deceased - but it won’t be sharing that information with the public.
Emergency responders - including police, firefighters and a representative from the provincial coroners officer - were seen at the southside foot of the Bill Thrope Walking Bridge shortly after 9 a.m., though they’d clearly been there for a while at that point.
They were gathered around a body covered by an orange tarp at the riverbank, and shortly thereafter, firefighters used a sled to move it up to a waiting gurney by the side of Waterloo Row.
After the body was moved from the area of the orange tarp, it was covered in white plastic.
Waterloo Row into Queen Street were blocked to traffic, with police allowing it to trickle through slowly as emergency personnel were working nearby.
The Fredericton Police Force advised the public early Tuesday on social media that the bridge was closed due to the operation, though it didn’t indicate what the situation was.
The walking bridge was cordoned off with red tape at the south end, and an emergency vehicle could be see parked at the north end with lights activated.
Members of the police force’s major crime unit were on the scene as well, and Const. Terry Francis of the force’s forensic identification unit was operating a drone from the south end of the bridge to capture aerial photographs.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday, the force announced on social media that the walking bridge was open again and that police had cleared the scene.
Police spokesperson Sonya Gilks declined Tuesday afternoon to detail the nature of the incident, to say if any criminality was believed to have been involved or even to confirm that a body was recovered.
In a subsequent news release posted at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the force said officers and other first responders were dispatched to the area of the walking bridge after receiving “a report of a body had been seen along the banks of the river.”
That release noted the police operation concluded at about 10:30 a.m.
Later Tuesday afternoon, the force issued another statement, confirming a body was found and that it had been identified.
“Next of kin have been advised,” the release said. “No further details, including the name of the individual will be released at the request of the family.”
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.