Body found near Rio may be missing man Rye Hunt

THE family of missing Aussie Rye Hunt have expressed their disgust after media sent them pics of a body that has been found.

THE family of missing Australian backpacker Rye Hunt has expressed its disgust after Brazilian media sent family members photos of an unidentified body that has been found.

A body, suspected to be that of Mr Hunt, was uncovered on a remote beach near Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian police have confirmed.

DNA tests will now be carried out to confirm whether it is the missing Australian.

Residents found the body washed ashore on the idyllic Guaratiba beach in the district of Marica, 50 kilometres from the centre of Rio, early on Wednesday local time.

In an emailed statement, Mr Hunt’s family members said they’d been told by Australian authorities a body had been found, but there had been no confirmation that the body was that of the missing backpacker.

Media outlets have published pictures of the body and sent them to Mr Hunt’s family.

“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 in a statement.

“It goes without saying that this crosses many professional and personal boundaries.’’

Rye Hunt disappeared while on a six-month trip around the world with his friend Mitchell Sheppard.

Early Wednesday, Rio residents noticed vultures on the white sand and then spotted a clothed, decomposed body covered in sand, a local journalist Romario Barros, who attended the scene, told AAP.

Two firemen arrived and put the body, which was dressed in blue shorts and a light-coloured shirt, in a black body bag, Mr Barros said.

Tasmanian man Rye Hunt, who was last seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Military police registered the find and the body is being sent to the Legal Medical Institute in the nearby city of Niteroi for identification.

“A body was found in Marica,” a spokesman for the Civil Police in Rio de Janeiro state said.

“It has been sent to experts for analysis, including a DNA comparison, to see if it could be the Australian tourist who has been missing since May 21.”

Bonnie Cuthbert shows a photo of her missing boyfriend Rye Hunt, 25, during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

It is believed Mr Hunt’s uncle, Michael Wholohan, who is in Rio de Janeiro to help in the search for his nephew, has already given a DNA sample to police.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she is not in a position to confirm if the body found on a beach in Brazil is that of missing Australian man Rye Hunt.

“But as soon as we have any information from the authorities in Brazil we provide it to the families,” she said.

“This is obviously a very difficult time for them and we are providing the family with consular support.”

Ms Bishop labelled reports members of the Brazilian media has sent photographs to the body to Mr Hunt’s family asking if they could confirm identification as “insensitive”.

“I don’t know if the media have responded to that,” she said.

“I’m not aware of the particular details of how the media got hold of their contacts in order to send such photographs.

“Of course it’s insensitive and it’s a very difficult time for the family so I would urge the Brazilian media to respect the family’s concerns and the obvious trauma that they’re experiencing at that time.”

CCTV shows Australian man, Rye Hunt in Rio de Janeiro. Picture: AAP/Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Mr Hunt went missing after he separated from his travelling companion Mitchell Sheppard after an argument. The two had taken what is suspected to be a highly potent hallucinogen known as NBOMe.

There were reports Mr Hunt was acting irrationally leading up to his disappearance and was extremely paranoid, anxious and scared, the family said in a statement.

The missing man’s partner, Bonnie Cuthbert and his uncle arrived in Rio de Janeiro early this month to continue the search for the backpacker.

Last week, Brazilian authorities called off a 72-hour sea search after a fisherman spotted a body floating off Rio’s coast in clothes similar to those worn by Mr Hunt when he vanished.

A body found on a Rio beach is believed to be that of missing Tasmanian man Rye Hunt.

Marica is a distant suburb of Rio de Janeiro, known for its beautiful beaches but also its gang violence.

In 2013, Sergey Petrovich Danshin, a 17-year-old Russian pupil on a school trip from a top London private school was shot dead there, after apparently going out at night to buy drugs.

missing man Rye Hunt's sister Romany Brodribb. Picture: Sam Rosewarne.

Mr Hunt’s sister Romany Brodribb said it was an incredibly difficult and stressful time for the family.

“We understand that the Australian and Brazilian authorities have worked day and night to support us and the search for Rye, and we wish to publicly acknowledge their efforts,” she said.

“We are comforted by the support and genuine interest the Brazilian people have taken in Rye’s case and are humbled by their offers of help while members of our family are in Rio. With all the efforts to find Rye, we remain hopeful he will be found soon.”

Anybody with information should email [e-mail].