MYSTERY still surrounds the identity of a body pulled from the River Dee.
Officials hope a post mortem examination being carried out today (Monday, March 8) will provide them with more clues about the man.
They have little to go on other than the fact he was wearing green tracksuit bottoms with three gold stripes down the side and are appealing for anyone who recognises the trousers to come forward.
Police have so far failed to link the man to any missing person reports.
Around a dozen police officers were sent to the scene, between the Old Dee Bridge and Grosvenor Bridge, after getting a call from a member of the public at 2.20pm on Wednesday.
They set up an extensive cordon and told children, going home from school, and dog walkers to take detours around the site, close to Minerva’s shrine at the bottom of Greenway Street, Handbridge.
The man, believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was taken to hospital for a post-mortem to be carried out.
A lifeboat from the RNLI in Flintshire arrived to help police recover the body at about 3.45pm.
Inspector Debbie Kewley, who was put in charge at the scene, said: “A member of the public reported seeing something.”
Cheshire police spokesman Jason Murray said: “We are awaiting the results of a post mortem and taking steps to identify who he is so we can get in touch with his family.”
Crime scene investigators erected a tent on the site to carry out further assessments.
A worker at County Hall, Paul Smith, 35, from Ellesmere Port watched as the incident unfolded.
He said: “Two police officers on foot went running to the Handbridge side, then a car went down with his sirens blaring.
“One of them was standing in an old rowing boat looking in the water around the trees.”
The RNLI Flint lifeboat and volunteer crew were requested to launch by Liverpool Coastguard to assist police in the recovery.
The lifeboat was taken by road just after 3pm, and launched at the Connahs Quay Ski Club, travelling upstream and arriving at the scene 40 minutes later.
Police personnel were taken on board the lifeboat, and taken to the casualty, the casualty was placed into an ambulance pouch by the lifeboat crew, and handed over to the Police.
The lifeboat returned to Connahs Quay where it was recovered, and returned to Flint lifeboat station and prepared ready for service at 6pm.
Alan Forrester Flint RNLI volunteer lifeboat operations officer, said: “This was a difficult job for the volunteer crew , and was carried out in a professional manner, this is our sixth call for 2010.”
Anyone with any information about the man is asked to call police on 08454580000.
