Missing Whanganui man found in river

The story so far

A 20-year-old man has been missing since 27 June, when he was last seen in the Matahiwi area near Whanganui.^{7, 11, 17 Jul 2025} His white Mazda was found in the Whanganui River on 2 July, and police searched for him after that.^{7, 11, 17 Jul 2025} Police believed he may have been inside the car when it crashed into the river during flooding.^{11 Jul 2025}

What's next

The matter has been referred to the coroner.^{17 Jul 2025}

Key moments

1. 7 Jul 2025Man reported missing; white Mazda later found in Whanganui River.
2. 11 Jul 2025Police believe he was inside car when it crashed during flooding.
3. 17 Jul 2025Body recovered from Whanganui River near Cobham Bridge.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.