Grim discovery in search for man who disappeared in the Nepean River while trying to recover his fishing rod

The body of a man who went missing after jumping into a river to retrieve his fishing rod has been found.

Emergency services were called to the Nepean River at Mulgoa, south of Penrith, about 11am Saturday after the man failed to resurface.

In a statement on Sunday, police said the 68-year-old man’s body has been recovered.

Emergency services had been scouring the section of the Nepean River since the alarm was raised on Saturday.

Nepean police and the dive unit resumed searches on Sunday morning, and the man’s body was found at about 10.40am.

The fisherman had reportedly jumped from a ledge into the river.

The man was at the watering hole with his partner.

She called triple-0 when he did not return from the water.

The man’s family were seen arriving at the scene, comforting the partner in the hours after he went missing.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.