Man who died in Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River while fleeing police identified as Martin Wheeler

A loved one of a Queensland man whose body was found after he jumped into a river while being chased by police has described him as a “top bloke” and “amazing friend”.

Local business-owner Martin Wheeler is being mourned after he went missing in the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, a known crocodile and bull shark habitat, on Thursday night.

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Amid a large-scale search by authorities, his body was found by a member of the public about 11pm on Saturday.

“Martin was the most amazing friend and truly a really kind person,” friend Melitta Vilciauskas told 7NEWS.com.au.

“He loved to make people laugh and most of all he loved his family, and his kids were his absolute world.

“Even when he was down, he tried to make you laugh. He was just such a fun bloke to be around.

“He will be greatly missed. He was a top bloke and one of my best friends.”

Vilciauskas said she had known Wheeler since high school.

He was a father of two teenagers and owned his own tree-lopping business.

She added the circumstances of Wheeler’s death were “horrific”, expressing anger that police had been chasing him.

“Martin’s life was cut short and in the most horrific way,” Vilciauskas said.

“It should not have come to the point where Martin feared police (so) bad that he was chased into a river and lost his life.”

7NEWS.com.au has put a series of questions to Queensland Police Service about Wheeler’s death, including whether it will be investigated by the Ethical Standards Command.

Police said in a statement on Sunday that the death remains under investigation.

It has not been revealed why police had been attempting to arrest him.

Chief Inspector Mark Burgess said on Friday that pursuing officers “tried to verbally negotiate with the missing person to return to the bank, certainly for his own safety”.

He said Wheeler, who had been “treading water” in the river, became “distressed and then has gone underwater”.

“My understanding is that he’s yelled out ‘help’, or words of that similar nature, and has gone underwater. That would indicate some type of distress or some type of event,” Burgess said.

“Unfortunately, the officers have not been able to see that person resurface.”

Police earlier revealed Wheeler had run from officers who were attempting to execute an arrest warrant at an East St address on Thursday night.

He had been chased along East St and Victoria Pde before jumping into the river.