Mystery surrounds both the identity and death of a man whose body was found near the Mohaka Bridge on State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupo yesterday.
Today police are regarding the death as unexplained, and are seeking information to help identify the tattooed man, establish how he came to be
in the area and where he may have been in recent days.
Napier CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Reid said it was not being treated as a homicide - although police were "looking at all possibilities" as to how he died.
The man had no facial injuries or other signs of physical assault.
Police were called after motorists, who had stopped for a rest on a walkway about 3pm, saw the body on the riverbed about 50m below the bridge.
Unable to establish his identity, police today described the man as Maori, aged in his mid-30s and of muscular build and average height.
His hair was shaven at the sides, he was clean-shaven, and he had distinctive tattoos - a silver fern and koru design on his right arm, a lizard design in an unusual shade of aqua blue just above the right nipple, and a large tattoo on his back.
He was wearing a black long-sleeved top, black nylon shorts and running or walking shoes.
Police urgently wanted to hear from anyone who could identify him.
"We have been unable to formally identify him through the usual processes so we must now appeal to the public for any information," he said.
Police wanted to hear from anyone who had been in the area over the past two days and who might have seen anything which could be related.
* Anyone with information about the man should contact Detective John McGregor at Napier Police on (06) 8310700.
