Police name woman found in river

Police today named the 47-year-old woman whose body was recovered from the Buller River after she disappeared on Sunday night.

Raewyn Allison Downes was found dead in her 4WD vehicle, which police pulled from the river by crane about 1pm yesterday.

The woman was reported missing to police about 1.30am on Monday after she failed to return to Greymouth from Nelson.

Senior Constable Hamish Blanch said police found the vehicle submerged in the Buller River just metres from where they were searching near the Buller Gorge swingbridge, 16km south of Murchison.

It appeared the vehicle had gone off State Highway 6 and cut through bush before plunging into the river.

The death has been referred to the Nelson coroner.

- NZPA