Body found in Dutch river; swimmer still missing

The police pulled a body out of the Waal river at Sluis St. Andries in the municipality of Maasdriel on Tuesday. The identity of the victim is still unknown, but the police could confirm that it was not a swimmer who disappeared while swimming in the Waal at Andelst on Tuesday afternoon. A search for the swimmer was called off around 7:00 p.m. without result, according to De Gelderlander.

The body was found at Sluis St Andries before the swimmer went missing in Andelst, the police said, according to AD. A forensic physician is working on identifying the body and determining the cause of death. The police will release more information when it becomes available.

The swimmer disappeared under water while swimming in the river on Tuesday afternoon. His family saw him struggling against the strong current and sounded the alarm, according to the Gelderlander. The fire department immediately launched a search for the man, getting help from the police and a firefighting boat, but to no avail. The search was called off around 7:00 p.m.

According to the newspaper, the man is the second swimmer to disappear in the Waal river this week. On Sunday another person disappeared while swimming in the Waal in Oosterhout. Emergency services searched for that swimmer on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with no success. The search was finally halted on Tuesday.

The body pulled out of the river on Tuesday was found roughly 40 kilometers from where the swimmer in Oosterhout disappeared on Sunday, according to AD.