A homicide investigation has begun after the body of a young man was found in the Blueskin Bay estuary yesterday.
But police say there is no need for residents to fear for their safety.
The body was discovered at 7.45am behind Warrington Beach, north of Dunedin, by two members of the public.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis said the police had secured the scene and a forensic examination of the area was under way.
Early yesterday, police also cordoned off an area of pine trees south of the Hatherly Lodge at Warrington, and reached by road via the Warrington Domain.
The domain also was cordoned off later in the morning and a police caravan was positioned there.
The Otago Daily Times was able to see a body lying face down on sand in Blueskin Bay estuary, several metres from shore. A white van was parked nearby.
Several police officers, including a police photographer, and police cars were gathered in the area.
As the tide came in, members of the police search and rescue team were also seen at the scene.
The body was removed by a funeral director about 1pm yesterday but police remained inside the cordon.
A postmortem examination was carried out last night.
"The identity of the body has yet to be established but police are following a positive line of inquiry on this," Det Snr Sgt Croudis said.
"At this early stage, police are unable to give details of the injuries sustained by the deceased.
"It is also too early to draw any conclusions about where the young man may have died.
"Police are keeping an open mind about whether the death occurred where the body was found or at another location."
Despite the death being treated as a homicide, Det Snr Sgt Croudis confirmed people in the area did not need to have any concern for their safety.
About 30 police staff were working on the investigation yesterday but that number was expected to increase to about 40 over the weekend, when ESR scientists and specialist search staff would be deployed to assist in the scene examination, he said.
Residents contacted yesterday said they had not heard anything about the death.
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board member and Warrington resident Geraldine Tait said she was not aware of anyone missing in the community, and hoped it meant the deceased was not a local.
She said the community had been rocked by the news.
"You always like to think this would happen somewhere else. Actually, you'd like to think it wouldn't happen at all.
"This has brought the modern-day horrors into our community."
Ms Tait said the beach was a popular walking spot but it was not unusual to find yourself walking alone there.
"People are going to be a bit on edge until more is known about this," she said.
