Body found in Mississippi River near Dubuque

A body was found in the Mississippi River near Dubuque today.

Dubuque County deputies were called to an area where the Catfish Creek meets the Mississippi River around 11:15 a.m. A barge worker had reported seeing a body in the water.

Rescue crews located the body a short time later and brought it to the Massey Station Marina.

"It's not common, but every year it seems to be probably one body recovered,” said Massey Station resident J.D. Knight.

After examining the body, deputies say they can't tell if it is a man or a woman. They also say it appears that the body has been in the water for at least one week.

"There are a couple of things you have to ask yourself, how did the person die.  Just because they are in the water doesn't mean they drowned.  Could it be in some other manner,” said Capt. Bob Lynn, Dubuque Sherriff's Office.

Captain Lynn says the river stage is still high, which makes a lot of things under water rise to the surface.

"Anything is possible with the river. When the levels go up, it starts to undermine and disturbs things that may have been caught for some period of time."

Deputies say just because the body was found in the water doesn't mean the person drowned. There are no apparent signs of injury that would suggest how the person died.

The body is now at the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy.