Stolen van found dumped in Clutha

A stolen van found submerged in the Clutha River near the Alexandra boat ramp sparked a police investigation yesterday morning, and a diver was called in to check if there were any bodies in the vehicle.

The Ainsley Shearing Toyota Hiace van was empty and Sergeant Dave Greaves, of Alexandra, said later the vehicle had been reported stolen.

A passerby, who declined to be named, spotted the roof of the van, which was submerged in about 3.6m of water, and contacted the police. Police officers, including a serious crash investigator, at first treated the incident as a potential fatality.

The Otago Regional Council's environmental officer based in Alexandra, Mike Anderson, was present because of fears the sunken vehicle might pollute the waterway.

Cromwell diver Joey McKenzie dived down to the van, looked inside and checked the surrounding area for any occupants of the vehicle.

Sgt Greaves said the vehicle had been "dumped" and it was difficult to know how long it had been in the river. It was stolen from Cromwell, about 6am on Monday, and Cromwell police, who were now handling the investigation, wanted to hear of any sightings of the van between that time and yesterday morning.

The vehicle was distinctive, with Ainsley Shearing Cromwell signs on the side.

- lynda.van.kempen@odt.co.nz