Police have identified the woman but are not releasing her name, pending notification of the family, Alpena Police Chief Joel Jett said.

Jett said the woman was elderly and from the Alpena area.

Police do not yet know the cause of death but said they believe the woman was only in the water a short time before she was discovered.

Jett declined to comment on whether police suspect foul play, citing the ongoing police investigation.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Police work at Washington Avenue Park, where a woman’s body was found in the Thunder Bay River on Thursday morning.

When handling a loss in the community, police have to approach both their investigation and the information they release carefully, Jett said.

A city worker checking irrigation systems in Washington Avenue Park discovered the woman, face down in the water and unresponsive, after spotting a bright piece of clothing, according to Jett.

The employee jumped into the water and pulled the woman onto the river bank near the Alpena Bi-Path while co-workers called 911.

The workers performed CPR on the woman until the arrival of paramedics, who were not able to revive the woman.

Police will continue to investigate the death, Jett said.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Police crime tape marks portions of Washington Avenue Park near where a city worker found a woman’s body on Thursday.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Police vehicles surround the location at Washington Avenue Park in Alpena where a woman’s body was pulled out of the Thunder Bay River on Thursday morning.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Police vehicles surround the location at Washington Avenue Park in Alpena where a woman’s body was pulled out of the Thunder Bay River on Thursday morning.