POLICE are trying to piece together the last movements of a woman whose body was discovered in the estuary after going missing from her home in Exeter.
Officers have been working with the family of the 66-year-old to work out how she ended up in the water at Topsham, and establish the cause of her death.
The woman has been identified but not yet named by police.
Officers were called at around midday on Friday, January 2, to the dock area near to St Margaret's Church in Ferry Road, following the discovery of a woman's body.
Police say they believe she was still alive on New Year's Eve. But her death is being treated as "unexplained" by officers.
A spokesman said her family reported her missing prior to the discovery. Officers are now investigating where and when she entered the water.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Adrian Hawkins, of Exeter CID, said detectives are looking into the woman's lifestyle and routine in case either point to any clues as to why she may have ended up in the water.
He said: "At this stage we are still considering how we progress the investigation.
"It is normal for the police to make enquiries into any sudden death – by this I mean anyone whose death is not expected.
"And in cases in which the circumstances are unexplained, such as this case, CID will generally hold the investigation and work with the coroner's office to piece together the last movements of the deceased person and look into possible causes of death.
"We are speaking with the lady's family and friends to learn about her lifestyle and her routine. We are currently content that she was alive on New Year's Eve."
Exmouth RNLI inshore lifeboat and Exmouth Coastguard volunteers assisted police after reports of a body in the water off Trouts Boatyard.
A spokesman said the woman had been declared dead by paramedics upon their arrival.
A spokesperson for Exmouth Coastguards, said: "We assisted the inshore lifeboat crew and HART Paramedics with the recovery.
"A difficult start to 2015. Our thoughts are with the person's family."
Following the discovery police immediately set about making enquiries to identify the woman, initially seeking assistance from the public and releasing a detailed description of her.
Officers subsequently made contact with her next of kin later in the day, who helped in confirming her identity.
