Arrangements made to return body of drowned French tourist Pierre Antoine Paludet

Detective Senior Sergeant Martin James of the Hawke's Bay CIB thanks the Haumoana community for help in the investigation into the disappearance of tourist Pierre Antoine Paludet. Photo/Duncan Brown

Arrangements are being made to return French tourist Pierre Antoine Paludet to his family after the body found in Awatoto late last week was yesterday identified as his.

Yesterday police said the matter had been referred to the coroner and Mr Paludet's family had been advised.

Mr Paludet, 32, was last seen in the Domain carpark in Haumoana on the evening of Friday, January 12 and police have thanked the Haumoana community for their help in the investigation into his disappearance.

His body was found on Friday night by a member of the public on the beach next to the former Winstone Aggregates site on State Highway 2.

Concerns for Mr Paludet, who had been sleeping in his vehicle, were raised when locals noticed a build-up of rubbish and his station wagon seemingly abandoned, leading to a call to police the next afternoon.

Police were first alerted to Pierre Antoine Paludet's disappearance when local residents noticed his car seemingly abandoned in the Domain car park in Haumoana. Photo/Supplied.

Detective Senior Sergeant Martin James, of Hawke's Bay CIB, said public vigilance had been at the forefront of the inquiry.

"If I can say anything positive about this, it's the amount of feedback and information that we got from the public was absolutely outstanding.

"Clearly people are quite observant and taking note of vehicles, people's actions, behaviour and descriptions."

He said police had maintained close contact with the missing man's family and, after a body was found in Awatoto, prepared them for the worst.

Mr Paludet's family had previously said they were very grateful for the support they had received from the Hawke's Bay community.

From March last year, the Frenchman spent about five weeks as a kiwifruit picker with Opotiki Packing and Coolstorage in Te Kaha, in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

QC supervisor Lee Kerei told Hawke's Bay Today she remembered him as a "really nice guy" with very limited English.

They hired him after a chance meeting at their shop when he expressed an interest in working, but hadn't seen him since April.

She said she couldn't remember what he said he was going to do, but believed he was planning to travel with other backpackers he had met while staying on their section in a tent.

Mr James said police had also worked to reassure the Haumoana community throughout the investigation, after resident Mark Beale was murdered in February last year and Taupo mother Amy Brown drowned in the Tukituki river mouth less than two weeks ago.

"Our work was a bit around reassurance because we had Amy Brown's drowning in the estuary the week before last, and our feelings were that Haumoana had faced some difficult times in the last fortnight.

"I know the persons we've spoken to were quite concerned about the disappearance of Pierre so it's proven to be that reassurance stuff."

Locals had been incredibly helpful in assisting police with their inquiries, he said.
"I just want to thank the Haumoana community for their overall support and coming forward and providing us with information."

"The added bonus these days is that people are generally carrying a cellphone so they're taking photographs of vehicles and anything they think is a little odd and it's become very valuable."

Yesterday police said the matter had been referred to the coroner, Mr Paludet's family had been advised and arrangements would be made to return his body home to them.

A French Embassy spokesperson said they were continuing to work with New Zealand authorities and the family.

Mr James also wanted to acknowledge his staff at the Hawke's Bay Criminal Investigations Branch, some of whom had cancelled leave and returned to work when Mr Paludet disappeared.