Humberto Nunes, a 55-year-old reservist in the GNR, drowned in the Arade while trying to reach the riverbank from his vehicle, which has been stranded mid-way across.
The accident was in the S. Bartolomeu de Messines area of Silves.
Nunes had tried to cross the swollen river but his jeep had conked out half-way across. He then must have opened the door of his vehicle and tried to reach the riverbank but was swept away by the force of the water.
The body was found mid-morning on Saturday, after the stranded 4x4 was spotted by a foreign resident and the alert raised.
"We immediately mobilised resources to attend the site," commented Lieutenant Pedro Fernandes, of the GNR in Silves.
A team from the local bombeiros got to the semi-submerged vehicle but found no body inside so a search was ordered along the riverbanks but no trace of the driver was found. A full-scale search was ordered with dozens of bombeiros and GNR personnel with dogs.
One of the dog-handling teams found the body of Sr Nunes at around 10:30 on Saturday morning, tangled in an area of reeds about 400 metres from the position of the jeep.
This river crossing usually is easy to drive across but the recent rains had increased the depth of water and the danger, considerably.
