Friday, 5pm:
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Police have found the body of a man believed to be Peter Abd-El-Kaddous.
About 2.45pm on Friday, officers found the body of a man in the Murrumbidgee River close to where Mr Abd-El-Kaddous disappeared on Wednesday afternoon.
Initial investigations suggest there were no suspicious circumstances involved.
The identity of the man has not been confirmed, but investigators believe it is the missing 42-year-old.
Police will prepare a brief for the information of the Coroner.
Friday, 8.30am:
The search for the body of Peter Abd-El-Kaddous will continue at Wagga Beach this morning.
Acting Inspector Nick Brunyee said police divers were geared up to enter the water for a second day of scouring the riverbed.
Emergency service personnel are assisting police with the gruelling task for a third day.
Friday, 7.30am:
Wagga police have confirmed the drowned swimmer was 42-year-old Peter 'Pace' Abd-El-Kaddous from Craigieburn, Victoria.
Thursday, 5.15pm:
The search has been suspended for the day and will resume in the morning.
Thursday, 4.15pm:
Phil Malligan from Wagga Police says the search is likely to continue until about 4.45pm, with police divers almost out of oxygen.
It will resume in the morning.
Thursday: 3.40pm:
Police have just briefed the media on scene about the progress of the search.
Inspector Phil Malligan said the search had been slow going, with poor visibility meaning divers have had to feel their way along the river floor by hand.
He said holes in the river were up to eight metres deep.
Inspector Malligan also confirmed the victim’s wife was originally from Wagga and the couple was visiting family here for Christmas.
The search continues, with divers having just re-entered the water after a break.
Thursday, 2.15pm:
Police have not released the name of the victim but it is believed he was an Australian of Middle Eastern background.
Drugs or alcohol were not believed to have been a factor in his drowning, according to police.
Thursday, 2.05pm:
Police scuba divers have just re-entered the water following a one-hour break.
They are focusing on an area within eight metres of where the swimmer drowned.
Emergency services crews are on standby but not actively searching.
Thursday, 11.30am:
Specialist police scuba divers have now entered the water as the search for the 42-year-old man’s body intensifies.
Thursday, 9am:
IT IS expected police divers will locate the body of the missing 42-year-old man this morning.
Wagga Police acting-inspector Nick Brunyee said police divers would join emergency services around lunchtime as the grim search continued.
“Police are resuming the search this morning,” he said. “It’s anticipated they may find him in a short time after (the divers) arrive.”
8pm:
The search has been suspended for the night and will resume at 8am on Thursday morning, with specialist police divers being called in.
5.45pm:
Police have just briefed The DA on the drowning.
Inspector Phil Malligan confirmed a 42-year-old man from Craigieburn in Victoria was believed to have drowned after entering the water with his wife at "the rocks” at about 3.40pm.
He was wearing three-quarter length denim shorts that weighed him down once he swam about 20 metres, to the point he was unable to stay afloat.
His wife frantically tried to keep him above the water but was unable to hold him.
His body has not yet been recovered and police divers will resume the search first thing tomorrow morning.
The man and his wife were visiting family in Wagga for Christmas, Inspector Malligan said.
The woman is being comforted by close friends and family.
Inspector Malligan said recent flooding had created a number of “snags” under the water’s surface, potentially hindering the search for the body.
4.50pm:
Police are now describing the search as a “recovery mission”.
Two VRA boats have just entered the water and volunteers are checking among the willow trees.
Paramedics in wet suits are now using a pole to check beneath the surface of the water.
Other paramedics are floating from “the rocks” to the Beach as part of the search.
4.40pm:
The search party is growing at Wagga Beach.
Two paramedics are floating down the river in a life-jacket as part of the search, while others are canvassing the area in a dinghy.
Six uniformed police and four detectives are on scene.
The VRA and SES have also arrived.
4.10pm:
EMERGENCY services are scouring the Wagga Beach precinct after reports a man has drowned.
Police, paramedics and the Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) are currently searching the area following unconfirmed reports at about 3.45pm a man in his 40s had not been sighted for “a period of time”.
Police have just briefed the VRA at the site.
Two teams from Wagga and Junee SES are also responding to the search.
More to come.