The family of missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt are shocked and distressed after they were sent photos of an unidentified body by the Brazilian media, asking them to verify if it was him.
Brazilian police confirmed that a body was found washed ashore on a remote beach in Rio de Janeiro early on Wednesday local time. They suspect it to be Hunt.
Hunt’s family wrote in a statement that they’d been told by Australian authorities that a body had been found, but the identity couldn’t be confirmed.
“We are disgusted that photos of the body have been published by media outlets and sent directly via text to family members by Brazilian journalists, asking us to confirm the identity,” the family said.
“It goes without saying that this crosses many professional and personal boundaries.”
Locals spotted vultures on the beach and then found a decomposed and clothed body covered up by sand, according to a Rio journalist Romario Barros who told AAP.
The body had on blue shorts and light coloured shirt, and has been sent to experts for identification.
Hunt’s uncle is in Rio to help with the search and is believed to have given a DNA sample to police.
Hunt went missing on May 21 after he separated from his travel buddy Mitchell Sheppard following an argument. The two took what is suspected to be NBOMe, a highly potent hallucinogen.
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