Firefighters waded through water and a paramedic used an inflatable boat to recover a body from the river this afternoon.
Emergency services were called at noon after the body of a man was spotted in the River Mole at Leatherhead.
Firefighters confirmed that the body removed from the river at Thorncroft Manor Drive by Gimcrack Hill was that of an elderly man.
Walton fire station crew manager Paul Evans, who was co-ordinating operations from the bank, said he believed the body had been in the water for a matter of hours rather than days.
Mr Evans: “We arrived on the scene and liaised with Leatherhead and police there. Using water rescue equipment we were able to get a paramedic out.
“Firefighters were wading through the river and the paramedic was in the boat. The body was moved to the bank.”
At 2.45pm police cars were stationed at either side of the cordoned-off bridge leading to Thorncroft Manor, an eighteenth century house used as serviced offices.
Police officers stood by the bridge going over the slow flowing greenish river which is overhung with branches.
A man in a car, who was waiting to deliver towels to the manor, said that he had been unable to get through for two hours.
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers are currently in attendance near Leatherhead Town Centre after a member of the public discovered a body in the river at the location.
“A number of enquiries are now being carried out to establish the identity of the body and to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.”
Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting reference P13324833.
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