TAR HEEL — Investigators continue to hope they can identify the remains of a body found inside a submerged vehicle discovered in the Cape Fear River near the Tar Heel boat landing last week.

Initial suspicions are that the body belongs to a Robeson County man who has been missing since 2001.

According to Bladen County Sheriff Steve Bunn, fishermen in the area saw a truck floating in the river on the evening of June 4 and called the Sheriff’s Office. But because darkness had already begun to set in, divers weren’t called in until the next morning.

At that time, divers with Bladen County Water Rescue and Fayetteville Water Rescue located the truck using sonar — but they also made another discovery.

A second vehicle was picked up by the sonar device and, when authorities brought the car to the surface, it was evident that the vehicle had been under water for a lengthy period of time. ANd when they opened the car’s trunk, they discovered human bones. Investigators immediately called in the State Bureau of Investigation.

Bunn said the remains of the body discovered have been sent to the medical examiner’s office in Chapel Hill.

“Hopefully we will get the results of the identification of the body by the end of the week,” stated Sheriff Bunn.

Bunn added that the Fayetteville Police Department is handling the truck portion of the case, since it had been reported stolen in Fayetteville.