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Police searching for mannequin during training drill find actual body


A monthly training session for a police dive team has turned into a recovery operation after officers made a morbid discovery.

During the drill the team had been looking for a mannequin in the Pawtuxet River, in the US state of Rhode Island, but instead found a human body on Wednesday (local time), local media reports.

According to the Providence Journal, authorities have said the body was found under a bridge in Pawtuxet Village.

The diver who found the man’s body initially thought it was the mannequin they were looking for during the drill, ABC 6 reports.

Police discover a body in Pawtuxet River in Rhode Island, during a training drill.
The dive team had been looking for a mannequin when they made the morbid discovery. Source: AAP, File image

One woman who lives nearby told the news outlet she thought it was a frightening coincidence.

“Must’ve been scary for the [divers] too,” Kim Cadden told ABC 6.

“They’re not expecting that. They’re looking for a dummy and they find the real thing.”

Police discover a body in Pawtuxet River in Rhode Island, during a training drill.
The dive team was conducting a routine exercise when they found the body in Pawtuxet River. Source: ABC 6

The death is not being treated as suspicious and police believe the man is a 55-year-old local resident.

It is thought the body had been in the area for less than a day before it was discovered.

Authorities said they were not releasing further detail until next of kin had been notified.

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