Body found after man goes missing from sailing boat off Dorset Coast
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder
Last updated 9 hours ago
A body has been recovered from Poole Harbour after a man went missing from a sailing boat off the Dorset coast, police said.
Police were alerted on Sunday to the disappearance of Michael Mitchell, 35, from Chelmsford, Essex, who was reported to have gone into the water from a vessel in Arne Bay on Friday evening.
Dorset Police were called to a man unresponsive in the water off the coast of Baiter Park at 6.11am on Tuesday.
He was confirmed dead after being recovered from the water and police said it is believed to be Mr Mitchell, who was known to his family as Mitch, although formal identification has not yet taken place. His family has been updated.
An investigation is under way into the circumstances of the man’s death, led by detectives from Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), and three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A 46-year-old man from Poole, a 31-year-old man of no fixed abode and a 22-year-old man from Essex remain in police custody.
Dorset Police said the arrested men and Mr Mitchell are believed to be known to each other.
The force said the arrests had been “made to assist the investigation in gathering information and also to provide legal protection to those involved as inquiries continue”.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicky Jenkins, of MCIT, said: “We are carrying out a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances of the death.
“Michael Mitchell’s family are continuing to be updated with developments and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
“We are compiling detailed evidence to establish a clear picture of what happened and we would urge people to refrain from speculating on the circumstances of this incident as these inquiries remain ongoing.
“We would urge anyone who has any information that might assist our investigation, or who has had any recent contact with Mr Mitchell, to please come forward.”
Police previously said the investigation was looking at the circumstances of Mr Mitchell going missing between around 8pm and 9pm on May 29 and “the subsequent reporting of the matter two days later”.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police online or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55260080161. Alternatively, independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously online using its website or by calling Freephone 0800 555 111.