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AAP
AAP
National
Tim Dornin

Body found in SA Murray floodwaters

The body of a 78-year-old man has been recovered from floodwaters along the Murray River in South Australia, the second death following the surge in water levels.

The man went missing on Monday near Casson Ave at Loxton North, south of Berri in the state's Riverland region.

Police brought in a helicopter, local patrols and State Emergency Service crews to try to find him, with their efforts continuing until dark.

They resumed the search on Tuesday morning with police divers recovering his body from the floodplain near the river.

They say there are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be prepared for the state coroner.

It is understood the man's small boat was found upturned near the water's edge.

"It's a really tragic set of circumstances. We don't know exactly what's happened at this particular point in time," Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said.

The death followed that of a 72-year-old man who was found in Ross Lagoon at Taylorville in December.

Water levels in the SA Riverland remain high, although the Murray's peak has passed and the river is starting to recede.

The high water reached Mannum, east of Adelaide, over the weekend and is expected to continue into the Lower Lakes by the end of the week.

The rising river will likely close the Tailem Bend ferry within days, causing transport issues for a significant number of residents.

That will bring the number of closures to 10. The ferries, at Cadell and Narrung, are also likely to cease operations by mid-January.

However, the ferry at Waikerie was reopened on Monday with some restrictions following a drop in water levels.

The Tailem Bend closure will turn what was previously a 10-minute exercise to cross the river into an 80km round trip to access the road crossing at Murray Bridge.

In response, the state government has approved a one-off $300 payment to low-income earners, pensioners, concession card holders, job seekers and students to help cover the extra travel costs.

The Murray flooding has impacted about 3400 properties in SA, including nearly 400 primary residences.

It has also closed more than 120 roads across the river communities.

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