Deceased Woman Pulled from Merrimack River

Update, 6:16 p.m. The New Hampshire State Police issued the following statement about the case:

At approximately 7:20 the body of an adult female was seen floating in the Merrimack River in Hudson. First responders from Nashua and Hudson arrived on scene and recovered the victim. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family. The cause of death is under investigation. An autopsy is scheduled forWednesday 10/15/14. Responding agencies included State Police, Nashua Police and Fire, Hudson Police and Fire.

The first post is below

A woman was found in the Merrimack River on Oct. 14, according to a statement from the city of Nashua Fire Department.

According to officials, New Hampshire State Troopers and Nashua Fire and Rescue teams were called to Daniel Webster Highway at the Sagamore Bridge near the Exit 2 interchange for a report of a missing person’s vehicle parked on the eastbound side of the bridge between the communities.

There was no sign of the operator in the vehicle, according to police.

Nashua Fire sent its dive team to the Merrimack River to search beneath the bridge. The search location was determined to be Hudson, so first responders from that community were called to the scene, too, according to officials.

Hudson Fire brought in its boat and assisted in conducting a surface search for the missing person. New Hampshire Marine Patrol as well as the Fish & Game Department were also notified about the search.

The search mission quickly became a recovery mission after one of the teams found a body.

“The Nashua Fire Rescue Dive Team did subsequently locate and remove a female victim from the water (located at a depth of approximately 15-feet) who was deceased,” according to Deputy Chief Karl P Gerhard of the Nashua Fire Department. “No other persons were injured in the course of the search or response. The scene was turned over to the police agencies who will be conducting the investigation.”

According to Gerhard, the area was particularly tricky navigating due to a 25-foot slope and 40- to 50-foot embankments the teams needed to move equipment along. There were, however, no first responder injuries.

The case is under investigation by the New Hampshire State Police and Hudson Police.

Caption. Hudson and Nashua Fire and Rescue teams search for a body in the Merrimack River on Oct. 14, 2014. Credit: Capt. David Morin, Hudson Fire Department.

Nashua Patch will update this post when more information becomes available.