The body of a person found near the Waimakariri River on has now been recovered.
Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Police say a member of the public found the body on Old West Coast Road and reported it around 3.40pm on Sunday.
The death is being treated as unexplained.
A formal identification may take several days but police said they are prioritising identifying the person and returning them to whānau.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted.