Police have confirmed the identity of the man found drowned on Ninety Mile beach more than three months ago, but they still do not know how he came to be there.
Sunil Kumar Raghavaraju, 25, was an Indian national studying in Auckland. His body was found in the shallows north of Waipapakauri Ramp on February 13.
He apparently never needed dental treatment so had no dental records, and police had to get family DNA from India to confirm his identity, the Northern Advocate reported.
Mr Raghavaraju did not own a car and it was not known how he travelled north, how he got to Ninety Mile beach, why he went there or how he came to be in the water, said Senior Constable Chris Yarnton of Houhora police.
A post-mortem examination had established he had drowned. His death has been referred to the coroner for a formal finding.
