INDEPENDENCE — A woman's body was discovered along the Tangipahoa River on Saturday afternoon, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.

A fisherman called authorities around 1:30 p.m. after spotting an unresponsive woman near the Highway 40 bridge. Responding firefighters confirmed the woman was deceased.

Investigators believe the woman was an out-of-state transient living in her car, which was located parked along the highway. Official identification and the cause of death are pending an evaluation by the Coroner’s Office.

Sheriff Gerald Sticker urges anyone with information regarding the active death investigation to contact the Criminal Investigations Office at 985-902-2088. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa at 1-800-554-5245 or online at www.tangicrimestoppers.com.