Pukerua Bay body identified as Palmerston North man

Police have identified the body which washed up near Wellington earlier this month as an Alzheimer's sufferer who went missing from Palmerston North in June.

James Morton Alexander, 75, went missing from a Palmerston North rest home on June 25.

Police used dental records to identify Mr Alexander's body, found between rocks in Pukerua Bay on August 20.

At the time the body was found, police Sergeant Bill Nicholson said the rain-swollen Manawatu river would have made it possible for it to travel more than 100km to the bay.

Police and volunteers spent more than 1000 hours looking for Mr Alexander.

A breakthrough in the search came when police were led to Mr Alexander's clothes early last month by a psychic .

The death has been referred to the coroner.

- NZPA