Family says body of missing Lower Hutt man has been found

Stephen Adams. Photo / Supplied

The family of missing Lower Hutt businessman Stephen Adams have confirmed his body has been found.

Police recovered a body on Saturday night down a bank off the Rimutaka Range on State Highway 2 between Wellington and Wairarapa.

It looked as if it had been there for a few weeks because of the state of decay.

It had been taken to Wellington for a post-mortem examination, police said.

Mr Adams, 50, went missing on January 31.

He had been last reported to be heading over the hill to Wairarapa, where his mother who died recently was buried.

On a website dedicated to finding Mr Adams, his family said today he had been found and they wanted to pass on their love to everyone who had supported them.

They said they would issue a press release at a later date and requested privacy.

Rimutaka Helicopter Services pilot Maurice Wooster spotted the roof of Mr Adams' black Ford Falcon XR6 50 metres down a bank on Saturday afternoon, after having a hunch to where the car was.

He found it after 10 minutes searching in the helicopter, then scrambled down the bank to confirm the find before calling police.

"I'm just delighted at being able to do something useful," Mr Wooster told The Dominion Post newspaper.

"Even though you don't know the people at all...I have had this agonising feeling that we should go and have a look in this area. At least they can have some closure."

The car had gone through a fence, which had already been repaired, plunged through the bush, then probably went airborne for about 25 metres, he said.

Mr Adams leaves Julie, his wife of 24 years, two daughters and a son.

His daughter Rebekah on Thursday asked for her father to come home in the family blog on the website.

"If only my Dad knew the effect this is having, the love that is out there for him, and the lengths we are all going to, to find him and bring him home.

"If he could sail home on a river of tears he would have been home weeks ago, god knows there's been enough shed."

- NZPA