Elderly Coromandel man's body found

Photo / File

The body of a 78-year-old man who went missing from his Coromandel Peninsula home on Tuesday night has been found.

Waikato District Search and Rescue coordinator, Constable Dave Pitchford, said the body of Colin Walter Hodges was found in the Wentworth River near his Whangamata home shortly after 4pm yesterday.

"The river and estuary always factored in our planning and search areas however heavy rains had raised water levels considerably, restricting our ability to search the area as well as we would have liked," Mr Pitchford said.

"As water levels receded we returned to the area and a team located Mr Hodges' body. A post-mortem examination will now be carried out and his death has been reported to the coroner."

Mr Hodges went missing from his Isobel St home about 8.30pm Tuesday, and was reported missing the following morning.

Mr Pitchford hailed the assistance unpaid Land Search and Rescue volunteers provided to police during the search.

"All too often search operations have to be carried out in the worst of weather in the most rugged terrain in the hours of darkness when people find themselves in trouble," he said.

"And when this happens, without fail, Land SAR volunteers muster to make up the search teams and assist in the operational headquarters making their skills available not only to Police but the whole community."

- Herald Online