Police recovered the body of a man in his fifties from the Kennet and Avon Canal on Saturday evening.
The man who live alone on the wide-beam boat Big Apple is believed to have slipped from his gangplank and fallen into the water at Wilcot near the Devizes to Pewsey road bridge.
A police spokesman said: “The early indications are that it was an accident and we are not treating the incident as being suspicious.”
The man had been out walking with his small brown terrier dog who was found safe and well.
Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen him walking along the towpath or in Wilcot village wearing a dark blue jacket with brown shorts and carrying a green rucksack.
The Wiltshire Coroner David Masters was informed of the tragedy.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here