A quiet afternoon at the Conley River Terminal turned tragic just before 2 p.m. after railroad police reported a man lying beneath a tree.
Officers were dispatched to the scene after Norfolk Southern Railroad Police alerted authorities about what initially appeared to be a man sleeping outside.
When medics arrived, they quickly determined the man was deceased.
Portsmouth officers secured the area and contacted the county coroner, who was called in to handle the investigation. Police also gathered information for an official report and worked to notify the man’s next of kin.
No foul play has been announced at this time.
What began as a welfare check ended in heartbreak — a reminder that sometimes the most routine calls can carry the heaviest outcomes.
