A body has been found inside a van drifting in the water at north Queensland.

The body of a man was discovered in the driver’s seat of the vehicle by workers at Mackay harbour just before 7am on Thursday.

The van drifted with the current and became wedged underneath an eight-tonne pontoon where it faced being crushed by the rising tide.  

A crane, three tow trucks and multiple emergency crews, including police, paramedics and firefighters, raced to the scene to remove the van from the water.

‘At the moment we’re still reviewing (CCTV) to see what time the car actually entered the water,’ Senior Sergeant Kyle Gould told the Courier Mail.

‘At the moment it’s still open to investigation… so we can’t make any determination.’

It is thought the van rolled down a ramp into the water.

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said: ‘Officers were called after 7am after the man’s body was found near Mackay Harbour.’

The body of a man was discovered in the driver’s seat of the vehicle by workers just before 7am on Thursday (pictured: Mackay harbour)

‘Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the sudden and non-suspicious death of a man in Mackay.’

In February, a body was found in a car at Harbour Beach in Mackay. 

Police said the February discovery was not suspicious.