Woman’s body found in Big Ditch near Central, Ridge (VIDEO)

Authorities recovered a woman’s body under a bridge next to the Big Ditch, near Central and Ridge, on Friday afternoon.

Wichita police Capt. Dan East said the woman appeared to have been in her late 30s or 40s. He refused to disclose whether the body showed signs of trauma, but he said detectives were working to determine whether any women in the same age range had been reported missing.

The woman, he said, was found beneath a bridge arching over a drainage area immediately west of the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway, also called the Big Ditch. A Sedgwick County dispatcher said a passerby called 911 at 3:02 p.m. after seeing the woman floating in water.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

East said it was not immediately clear how long the woman had been there. Other details, including her name, were not released.

Authorities gathered on the north and south sides of Central on Friday afternoon, west of the Big Ditch, to investigate the woman’s death. Fire crews and police personnel repeatedly peered over the south side of the bridge, down toward water and tall grasses. Some police and fire crews also searched briefly on the bank north of Central.

East said officers were dispatched to the area after someone called 911 about 3 p.m. to report a suspicious-looking person under the bridge. Sedgwick County dispatch said the report was changed to a possible submersion – or person in the water – within a few minutes, after authorities gathered more information from the caller.

This story was originally published October 10, 2014 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Woman’s body found in Big Ditch near Central, Ridge (VIDEO)."