Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man reportedly fell down an embankment into the River Wye in Hereford.
It is believed a missing man in this 20s was “involved in an altercation prior to the incident”, West Mercia Police said.
Officers received a call just after midnight on Saturday from a man who said his friend had fallen into the water.
Trained search officers, the local police helicopter and “blue light colleagues” from the ambulance and fire services were deployed to the area.
The missing man’s family has been told of the apparent altercation.
“A scene guard remains in place along the river and searches are likely to continue for some time with specialist support,” the force said.
“Following new information that the missing man was involved in an altercation, we have now arrested three men on suspicion of murder,” said Detective Chief Inspector Tony Garner.
“They are currently in police custody while our enquiries continue into the circumstances leading up to the time the man is believed to have entered the river.
“If anyone has any information that could help with our enquiries, we urge them to get in contact with us as the information they provide could be crucial in piecing together what happened in this tragic incident.”
Anyone with information is urged to report it via the West Mercia Police website.
