Searchers find body in Matarangi

Search and rescue teams have been looking for Cem Erbay since he went missing early on January 1. Photo / Christine Cornege

Police believe they have found the body of an Auckland man who went missing near Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula two days ago.

Whitianga-based search and rescue teams who have been searching for missing man Cem Erbay, 19, from Auckland, found a body in an area of bush at Matarangi, a police spokesman said.

The body was discovered after information was given by members of the public.

Seven search and rescue teams had been looking for him after he was reported missing about 5.30pm on New Year's Day.

He was last seen by friends on Wharekaho Road at the end of Simpson's Beach, Whitianga, about 4am.

Mr Shields said police were considering foul play but "it's low on our list of things we think have happened".

But Whitianga police said they would not confirm whether it was the missing 19-year-old until a scene examination had been carried out.

Erbay's family earlier said his disappearance was "completely out of the ordinary" and they were hoping that reports that he may have bought food and drink 20km away in Matarangi about five hours later are true.

"About four or five hours after he was in Simpson's Beach we're sure that he's turned up in Matarangi, we'd like to know how he got there," Thames-Coromandel sub-area manager Senior Sergeant Graham Shields told Radio New Zealand.

"Today we're going to be concentrating on Matarangi, we're going to go house to house to see if we can find him or anybody who has seen him."

Mr Erbay is the stepson of former TVNZ journalist Simon Mercep, the new co-presenter of Radio NZ's Morning Report.

Mercep said his stepson's friends had travelled to Whitianga to help with the search.

"It's obviously very worrying but we are trying to keep pretty positive," he said.

Mercep said police were confident a person seen in a Matarangi store about 9am on Saturday matched Cem Erbay's description.

"The positives are that it's warm and he's got cash. We weren't sure what his access to food and water would be, so at least he got some food and some drink."

Cem (pronounced "Jem") did not make an agreed meeting with his girlfriend yesterday at Whangapoua, and he could not be contacted on his cellphone.

Mr Erbay, who is studying for a bachelor of arts degree at Auckland University, was last seen by his friend Will Killip.

Mr Killip, a 19-year-old engineering student and a former schoolmate, said they had been drinking at a friend's house in Whitianga to see in the New Year.

After sobering up, they decided to go to their holiday accommodation at Wharekaho. They crossed the Tohetea Stream bridge at the southern end of Wharekaho but Mr Erbay wanted to walk through a paddock to the beach.

"He just started walking to the beach. He didn't say anything, he didn't respond," said Mr Killip. "I came back home and thought he was here, too, so I just crashed out."

Alarm bells started ringing when Mr Killip woke and found his friend had not made it home.

He said Mr Erbay, who was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans but no shoes, was a friendly type.

"He's the kind of guy who will walk up to anyone and start talking ... But yeah, it is a worry."

Mr Erbay was described as a 175cm tall, olive-skinned Caucasian of medium build with short brown hair. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeved white T-shirt, jeans and might have been barefoot.

Mr Shields said police were considering foul play but "its low on our list of things we think have happened".

"He's either on the move or he's taken shelter somewhere," he said.

He said Mr Erbay could have walked to Matarangi from Wharekaho but it was more likely that he had hitched a ride.

Mr Erbay has a mild heart condition and there are concerns that any over-exertion could make him disoriented.

"For that reason," said Mr Shields, "we are asking anyone who may have spoken with someone in a disoriented state to make contact with us."