The body of an eight-year-old boy who had been kayaking in Western Australia’s south has been recovered from the water by police divers.

The boy had been camping with family at Fernhook Falls near Walpole, about 400 kilometres south-east of Perth when he went he went off to kayak alone a week ago on Sunday.

His blue plastic kayak was found after he went missing.

A land search that spanned several days and involved more than 60 State Emergency Service volunteers was suspended, with police focused on finding and recovering the boy’s body from the river.

He was found by a search team on Friday and a complex recovery operation commenced, with the body retrieved on Sunday, Great Southern District Superintendent Kim Travers said.

“The recovery would not have been possible without the mutual trust and respect of the family who have remained on site throughout this recovery operation,” he said in a statement.

“The circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking incident will be subject of a report to the coroner.”