Details about the discovery of a body in rural Canterbury yesterday are expected to be released today after detectives worked through the night at the scene.
The body, which was on Drain Rd, Doyleston, south of Christchurch, is believed to have been found by a group of Filipino fishermen about 11.30am, according to media reports.
Due to cellphone coverage issues, the group drove to Christchurch to report the discovery.
Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald told the Herald last night the death was being treated as suspicious.
He did not say whether the body was male or female, or whether the person had suffered any injuries.
Mr Fitzgerald said more information was likely to be released around lunch time.
Earlier in the evening a police cordon was set up a short distance from Lake Ellesmere on Drain Rd where it intersects with The Lake Rd.
Police were treating the incident as a crime scene.
Tents had been erected within the cordon and several police vehicles were at the scene.
A resident, who lives on The Lake Rd, said the incident was "quite shocking" while several other residents on Drain Rd were unaware of the death but were horrified to learn a body had been found in the area.
One local woman said the police cordon was located towards the lake end of Drain Rd. She said she had gone for a drive to try to find out more about what had happened after she learned that a body had been found.
"I thought it was a bit weird so I thought I would go and have a look so I drove down. I don't actually know what happened ... the road was cordoned off."
The woman said she had lived in the area most of her life and the region was home to many dairy farmers.
"If it is foul play then [I do find it shocking]. Post-earthquake there have been a lot of people who have come out to this area ... and not people who would normally live here.
"There are just a lot of people out here who aren't typical of what we used to have in our country town."
Graham Fergus, who lives nearby, was first alerted to the incident when he saw several police vehicles down the road.
He said the lake was popular for fishing.
"They had had a bit of trouble with [people] over-fishing down there and catching too much fish so whether that is related to it, I don't know."
The body is yet to be identified.
