A suspicious death investigation is underway after a West Melbourne man was found in the Banana River just before noon Wednesday.

Thursday, the body was identified as 23-year-old John Romer.

Deputies received a call just before 9 a.m. Wednesday after a witness fishing or boating in the area spotted something floating in the river.

"They saw what they took to be a body," said Tod Goodyear, spokesman for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. "We've classified this as a suspicious death."

A cause of Romer's death have not been determined.

A large presence of Brevard County deputies and crime scene investigators were searching the calm waters just west of Patrick Air Force Base along the Pineda Causeway through early Wednesday afternoon.

The witness, a shirtless man, was seen talking on his cell phone and pacing barefooted near a boat.

Deputies roped off a large area with crime scene tape. The sheriff's helicopter also hovered overhead. Forensics agents snapped photographs of the witness' boat as dive team members suited up and combed along the riverbed for any clues.

Motorists also continued to drive by, slowing down to gawk. A minor traffic crash took place in the eastbound lane but no injuries were reported.



A white medical examiner's van pulled in about noon. Workers loaded the remains into the waiting vehicle and transported the body to the medical examiner's office in Rockledge as divers and investigators continued to search the area.

Tyler Vazquez contributed to this report.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter @JDGallop

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