Body found in Tuolumne River in west Modesto. Police are investigating

Modesto police are investigating after a body was found in the Tuolumne River between Neece Drive and Highway 99 in west Modesto.

A fisherman spotted the body near the north shore just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, said Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear.

Detectives and identification technicians responded to document the scene and search for evidence of a crime.

Several hours later, the Sheriff Department’s Dive Team was requested to recover the body from the river and the Modesto Fire Department responded to provide lighting. Authorities had to clear away dense vegetation to remove the body.

Bear said the body is that of an adult male who has not yet been identified. No signs of trauma were found during autopsy Thursday.

Bear said the man likely had been dead a week or more based on the decomposition of his body.