Charlie Saywell.Photo:Kent Police/SWNS
Kent Police/SWNS
A soldier reportedly had a rope wrapped around his body when he was found in a river.
On March 5, the body of 25-year-old Charlie Saywell was found in the River Medway, near Chatham, England. According toThe Times, an inquest has determined that the soldier’s cause of death was drowning, with the coroner adding that he suffered a “violent or unnatural” death.
PEOPLE has contacted the Coroner’s Office and Kent Police for comment.
Per the outlet, Saywell’s body was initially found under a boat after a worker alerted emergency services that they spotted a body covered in mud.
The Telegraphreported that the man was already deceased before services were called to the scene at Turks Shipyard.
According to both outlets, coroner Catherine Wood said at the opening of an inquest in Maidstone on April 4 that the worker found Saywell with a rope wrapped around his torso and his legs.
The Kent Police said in apress releaseissued on March 13 that Saywell had been out “with friends during the previous evening.” After taking a taxi to his residence in Brompton, he then “took a walk into Chatham town centre” sometime between midnight and 2 a.m.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Per the release, Detective Sergeant Karen Caulfield said Saywell “had a phone conversation before his death which indicated he may have suffered an assault in the town during that period.”
While the police are looking for witnesses who may have seen the soldier during those hours, particularly at the fast-food outlet or near the car, they “are not treating Charlie’s death as suspicious,” Caulfield said.
The sergeant added, “It is important we understand where he visited and what happened to him prior to his tragic death.”
source: people.com
