Body found on Mt Pirongia in hunt for missing Waikato man

A man's body has been found on the summit of Mt Pirongia. Photo / Greg Bowker

Police teams hunting for signs of a Waikato man missing since June have found a body on a mountain summit.

Richard Michael Shaw was last seen in early June, leading police to launch a search in the Mt Pirongia area.

Forty-four year-old Shaw's car had been seen in a car park on Greys Rd on June 12.

A Police and Waikato LandSAR search of the Pirongia mountain area then kicked off on June 17.

"For five months, we have been systematically searching throughout the Mt Pirongia area," Senior Sergeant Paul Slater said.

"Yesterday afternoon a body was located at the summit."

Police were yet to confirm the body was Shaw's, but said it was connected to the search for a 44-year-old man who went missing in June.

The family of the deceased man have been notified and the matter referred to the Coroner.

"I'd like to acknowledge this enormous effort by SAR over such an extended period of time," he said.

"This significant deployment was about returning a loved one to their family and I hope it brings some sense of closure."

Slater said the man's identify will be formally confirmed and released in the coming days.