INVESTIGATIONS are under way to establish the identity of a surfer who was found dead in Kimmeridge Bay.

Portland Coastguard said a passer-by spotted the man’s body floating in the water.

He was still attached to his surfboard by the surfing safety leash.

A campervan was found in a nearby car park which was recovered by Police who are trying to establish the identity of its owner.

The coastguard said it was thought the surfer might have been in the water since Wednesday because there was no surf on Thursday.

A coastguard helicopter was sent to the scene at around 2.30pm and the surfer was then declared dead by the crew.

His body was recovered and taken to the mortuary at Poole Hospital and a Bournemouth coroner has been informed as inquiries are being made to identify the man.

Dorset Police said the death appeared accidental and there are no suspicious circumstances.

A Coastguard spokesman said: “As far as I know, nothing like this has never happened here before - but then the surfers are effectively surfing on the rocks and anything like that is dangerous. It was going to happen one day.

“It is like anything in life, there are always going to be risks.”

Jonathan Solomons who works at Windtek, Weymouth and Portland’s watersports shop, said he learned of the tragedy when a friend of the passer-by who discovered the body phoned the store.

Mr Solomons said: “I had a phone call this morning from a man who said it was his friend who found the surfer.

“He told me he saw his foot poking out from the water in the slipway and so he paddled in to investigate when he found the body and sounded the alarm.

“The guy was concerned that it might have been someone from the local surfing community and asked if we knew anyone with a white van because that was what was in a nearby car park – but we have no idea who it could have been.

“I assume the surfer must have bashed his head, which does make you think that maybe surfers should wear a helmet when out on the waves."

“I am sad to hear about this and it will make me think again before I go out to surf without a helmet.”

Jon Moore, 39, who has surfed in Kimmeridge for over 20 years, said the bay was no more dangerous than any other reef.

“There are dangers associated with surfing in Kimmeridge as there are with any surfing reef. There are rocks under shallow water, which can make it dangerous.

“People come from all over the world to surf at Kimmeridge and under the right conditions the swell comes from great depths and hits the reef creating very powerful waves.”