A person was found dead in a reserve in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson this afternoon.

The body was found in the Riverpark Reserve at the end of Bittern Place around 12.40pm.

A police spokesman said they are treating the death as unexplained at this time.

It’s understood the body was still in the reserve at 3pm and was being removed. A police crime scene is being established in Riverpark Reserve.

Pictures from the scene appear to show police entering the mangroves and wet weather gear can be seen being unloaded from a police van.

A blue search-and-rescue forensic tent was also set up.

Shortly before 3.35pm, the body was removed from the scene.

Forensic staff have since disestablished their tent and left the scene.

A resident said it felt “creepy” to have a dead body by the lake. The woman, who didn’t want to be named, said the reserve was popular with locals, with many families using the area over weekends. She was heading there for a walk but said she would now walk somewhere else instead.

“It’s a lovely, serene spot, and it feels creepy having a dead body there,” she said. “I’m just hoping it’s not a homicide, but something less sinister like [a] medical [event] or suicide,” she said.

A person has been found deceased on Bittern Place in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson. Photo / Hayden Woodward

Police at the scene of an investigation into a deceased man found in mangroves at the Riverpark Reserve off Bittern Place in Henderson. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The body was removed from the scene shortly before 3.35pm. Photo / Hayden Woodward

This article was originally published on the NZ Herald here.