Police say a body, understood to be that of three-year-old Jamal Little, has been found in the Johnstone River in Innisfail in far north Queensland.

The boy went missing in far north Queensland on Tuesday afternoon.

He was last seen playing on the banks of the Johnstone River at Innisfail, about an hour south of Cairns.

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The boy went missing in far north Queensland on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Queensland Police

Jamal was with a group of children when he disappeared some time between 3:30pm and 4:00pm on Tuesday.

The boy had recently moved to Innisfail with his family.

Inspector Brian Cannon said water police had told them they had found a child’s body about 6:15pm.

“We’ve retrieved the body of a juvenile child in the river … and at this stage I’ve spoken to the parents of the missing person,” he said.

“[The parents have] asked that I convey to everyone involved – the SES, police, members of the public – people who have just come up and said kind things to them, their sincere appreciation of the efforts of everyone that has been involved in this very sad and very tragic event.”

Inspector Cannon said on Wednesday that the boy could not swim.

Extra police from Brisbane had been sent to the area to help search for him.