Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A sex doll wrapped up in a blanket and duct tape which was spotted floating in a canal sparked a rescue involving 20 people after an eyewitness called cops to report a dead body floating down the river.

The bizarre incident took place near Marl, a town in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia when a female passerby walking along the Wesel-Datteln Canal saw what appeared to be a body floating by.

It was wrapped in a blanket and held together with tape, with its arms crossed across its chest and its legs up in a sort of foetal position.

The woman immediately alerted the emergency services upon making the discovery.

Fire brigade mission leader Michael Dolega and his team were called to the scene to retrieve the ‘body’ from the canal.

Dolega said: “In shape and size it corresponded with a human being, therefore we informed the police.

“In the end around 20 emergency workers were involved in the mission.”

After the ‘body’ was retrieved from the water, special investigative officers slowly unwrapped it.

To their surprise they discovered that the body was not that of a human being but of a silicon sex doll dressed in black lingerie.

Dolega said: “I’ve been with the fire brigade since 1993, I have never experienced anything like that. 

“The doll was well prepared for the big evening.”

The cops are currently investigating whether dumping the sex doll in the canal is an administrative offence.

Police chief Martin Kentschke said: “Should the owner contact us, then of course they will get the doll back.”

According to local media, the owner could in that case however expect some tough questions by the cops and might even need to reimburse the authorities for the costs of the rescue mission.