Detectives are investigating the death of a young man whose body was found in the water in the West End of the Island last night.

The lifeless body of the man, who Police will only describe as being white and in his mid-30s, was discovered close to Five Star Island in Southampton at about 6 p.m.

Police spokesman Dwayne Caines said foul play had not been ruled out.

The Royal Gazette understands a young teenage girl was believed to have spotted the body floating close to the edge of the shore and screamed for help.

A passerby came to her aid and pulled the body ashore, but by then it was thought to have been too late.

Paramedics arrived soon after, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said last night they would not release his identity until relatives had been informed, but they said they wished to make it clear that this incident had absolutely nothing to do with the four people who are believed to have drowned in the East End during Hurricane Fabian more than two weeks ago. "A man was last seen at about 4.30 p.m. on Sunday," said Mr. Caines. "He was on his way for a swim at the shoreline in Southampton, across from Five Star Island. He was last seen at about 4.30 p.m. when he left a residence in the area and headed for the water.

"We are piecing together what happened after that. The next time we pick it up it was a little after 6 p.m. when two individuals saw the body near the shore and brought it out of the water."

Mr. Caines said Emergency Medical Technicians tried to revive the man, but their attempts were unsuccessful.

"At this stage, we can only describe the man as white and in his mid-30s," added the Police spokesman.

"We are in the process of trying to contact his family now. Foul play is not being ruled out and a full investigation is underway.

"But we want to inform the public that this individual is in no way connected to the tragedy that took place at the Causeway during Hurricane Fabian on September 5 when four people were lost to the ocean."

Neighbours living around Five Star Island last night said they did not want to talk about the incident.

When The Royal Gazette arrived on the scene soon after 7 p.m., the body had already been taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and only five Police officers remained. As usual, the area was quiet.

Only one of the bodies of the four people lost during Hurricane Fabian have been discovered so far. A funeral service was held for P.c. Stephen Symons last Monday.

The bodies of his colleagues P.c. Nicole O'Connor and Police station duty officer Gladys Saunders, along with young father Manuel Pacheco, have still not been recovered.