According to reports, police were alerted by a security supervisor at the Freeport Container Port at about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, who said that a body was spotted floating in waters near the facility.
Uniformed and Scenes-of-Crime officers were dispatched to the location, where they were directed to Berth #2 and were shown the lifeless body of a black male, floating face up in the water between the pier and a large container vessel, the MSC Matilde.
The body was clad in short khaki pants with a black belt, a dark green pullover shirt and black working boots.
Police describe the body to be that of a male between ages 16 and 25 years.
Authorities say that it appeared to have been in the water for at least three days and other than some superficial lacerations that could have been caused by hitting against the pier, no injuries were seen from a cursory examination.
The body was retrieved from the water by police and Container Port personnel, placed into a body bag and transported to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where it was officially pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Central Detective Unit officers have launched an intensive investigation into this matter to determine exactly who the deceased person is, and the circumstances surrounding his death.
By ANGELO ARMBRISTER, Freeport News Reporter
