A teddy-bear dangled over the Waikato River sparked an emergency callout this morning after a person mistook it for a human body.

A passerby on the opposite bank below Awatere Ave spotted the stuffed toy dangling head-first from a tree branch about 11am, and called police.

The police boat was launched and officers quickly discovered the item was a large brown teddy bear.

It was left at the scene.

- NZ Herald staff