A man lost his twin brother when the ute they were travelling in rolled down an embankment in West Gippsland last night.
Twin brothers Mark and Dale Lewis were driving down Evans Road in Bunyip about 9.30pm when Mark lost control of the vehicle.
The ute tumbled seven metres down an embankment and landed in a river.
Dale, who was a passenger, escaped with only minor injuries while his brother’s body was pulled from the river around six hours later.
High river levels and precarious terrain impeded rescue efforts.
Acting Senior Sergeant Jo Wilson said while members of the community were trying to assist before crews arrived, it also placed them in a risky situation.
“It was unsafe for members of the public to go down and see if the body was there,” she said.
One nearby resident says accidents on the stretch of road are not uncommon.
“Going back a couple of years, we had a six-month stretch where there were half a dozen accidents between our house and the bridge, which is only 200 metres long,” Ceri Jostlear said.
“It’s a fairly dangerous stretch. The other side of the river has a bitumen road and barriers, and it has made it a lot safer so our side would benefit from something similar.”
The exact cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.