Probe after woman's body found near Durban's North Beach

Little was known about how the 31-year-old woman died so a post-mortem will be conducted, said police spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane.

British authorities would be notified while police start an inquest into her death.

Inquests are conducted when the cause of death is not immediately obvious, he explained.

Pirates lifeguard Bennie Mthethwa said he was on duty in the lifeguard tower late on Saturday night keeping an eye on festive season night swimmers when a colleague shouted that there was somebody in the bushes.

''I grabbed a lifesaving pack and ran down. As soon as we realised she was dead we called the police and other authorities,'' he said.

''I didn't stay too long - I left it to police and I had to go back on patrol,'' said a shocked Mthethwa.

Zwane says police were investigating.

The Sunday Times quoted Durban Tourism spokesperson Phillip Sithole as saying that as many as 100 000 people had flocked to the city's beaches to celebrate the start of 2016.

(File photo)