“Our condolences are with the loved ones of Teananga at this difficult time,” Faulkner said.
The formal identification process is underway, and his death has been referred to the Coroner.
But while searching the river for Tiotia, police also recovered a body, believed to be Aydan Brown, inside a submerged vehicle.
Brown, 39, was reported missing from Chartwell on August 17.
Faulkner said police notified his family yesterday evening.
“Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time,” Faulkner said.
The vehicle and body have been recovered, and River Rd has since reopened.
The formal identification process was now underway, and Brown’s death had been referred to the Coroner.
Brown’s disappearance:
Aydan Brown was celebrating his cousin’s 30th birthday the last night he was seen on August 17.
Around midnight, his partner, Terene Hetet, told Waikato Herald she messaged him to check how his night was going.
He responded quickly with “I love you, my babe” – the last text she received from him.
She messaged him again around 3.30am, but heard nothing.
When messaging Android-to-Android, it leaves two ticks to confirm a text has been sent and received.
“It only had the one tick ... but it didn’t say that he received it.”
Brown was supposed to accompany Hetet to a funeral the day after - the shirt he purchased for it was still sitting untouched on her bed.
Hetet contacted some people from the party and one of Brown’s cousins told her that Brown left in the early hours of Sunday morning.
He never came home.
By August 19, the family lodged a missing persons report with police.
Police investigated many leads and information provided by the public since Brown was reported missing, including rural or bush areas in the Waikato or Bay of Plenty.
On the public Facebook group, ‘Find Aydan Brown’, the family shared the news of his death.
“This is an incredibly difficult time for his family and loved ones. We are deeply grateful for the care, concern, and support shown over the past months by everyone on this page,” the post read.
“We kindly ask that the family’s privacy is respected during this time of grief ... Thank you to everyone who shared information, reached out, and kept Aydan in their thoughts.”
