Body Found Floating Near Route 37 Bridge: Toms River Police

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Authorities are investigating after a female body was found floating in Barnegat Bay on Tuesday morning.

Police were called to the south side of the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge that carries Route 37 to Seaside Heights at 11:28 a.m. for a report of a body in the water, said Jillian Messina, media relations specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

The victim was described only as female and was dead when police arrived, she said.

The Ocean County Sheriff Department's Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the New Jersey State Police Marine Unit, and the Ocean County medical examiner also responded, Messina said.

A witness told Patch there were at least 10 police vehicles and several police boats in the water at the site of the discovery.

This is a breaking news report and will be updated as information becomes available.

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