The body of a newborn baby boy was discovered floating in the Fraser River late Tuesday evening by a tugboat crew.
"Our tug was delivering a small tow just upriver of the railroad bridge," said Harken Towing manager John Bowles. "When they arrived there, they found the body floating in one of the booms that was already being stored there."
The tug crew called in officials, and called it a night.
"They're pretty traumatized," said Bowles. "They did what they're supposed to do - they notified the RCMP, and the Coast Guard.
"They went home early on the night shift."
When the tugboat crew first noticed the newborn's body around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, they believed it to be a doll.
The railway bridge is just off Fraser Park Drive and a correctional facility in South Burnaby. On Wednesday afternoon, police boats were scouring the area along the shoreline and near the log booms.
In addition, police parked along the shore on the Richmond side of the north arm of the Fraser River were aiding in the investigation, along with the Air One police helicopter.
The case is now in the hands of the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
"IHIT are concentrating on finding the mother of the baby and ensuring that her health and well-being have been looked after," said Sgt. Jennifer Pound. "Our priority is to speak with the mother. . This was a traumatizing event, and we would like to speak to hear and see if she needs to be medically assessed."
Pound said that while the baby appears to be newborn, a scheduled autopsy on Thursday will be required to confirm those details and to determine the race of the baby.
Pound asked possible witnesses to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
