Body of 46-year-old man recovered from Arkansas River, authorities say

The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Tuesday morning from the Arkansas River in Fort Smith, according to police.

In a news release, the Fort Smith Police Department said its agency and the Fort Smith Fire Department responded around 10 a.m. to a report of a body found in the river.

Employees dredging the river near the Interstate 540 bridge had spotted the body, later identified as Matthew Wood of Danville, and notified authorities, police said.

After removing Wood's body from the river, emergency personnel found no signs of obvious trauma, the release states.

Wood's vehicle was found parked in the parking lot of Fort Smith Park, 4301 Riverfront Drive, and was believed to have been there for about two weeks, police said.

Authorities found the vehicle locked, according to the release. No items appeared to have been taken from inside.

Wood's body will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock for an autopsy, police said. No foul play is suspected at this time.

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