French tourist Pierre Antoine Paludet 'died in a place he loved'

Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Pierre Antoine Paludet was described by his friends as a warm-hearted, genuine person.

Family and friends of drowning victim Pierre Antoine Paludet say he was a loving, warm-hearted and adventurous man.

On Tuesday, Hawke's Bay police confirmed the body which was found at Napier's Awatoto Beach on Friday night belonged to Paludet, a French tourist.

Paludet in the days before he went missing. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Paludet's close friend Clochette Goa, who had known the 32-year-old for more than 10 years, told Stuff from France that Paludet was a 'great person'.

'Pierre Antoine was very intelligent, cultivated, generous with a big heart, always in a good mood and always ready to party with his friends,' she said.

A former colleague of Paludet's told Stuff he loved the sea.

Paludet caught on CCTV in the days before he went missing at Haumoana Beach in Hawke's Bay.

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'He was a sentimental lover of the simple things in life. He loved nature and the ocean. [I] believe that he died in a place he loved.'

Goa, who lives near Paludet's hometown of Vallet in western France, said his friends were hoping 'until the last moment' he would be alive.

Paludet was a composite materials engineer, and had been missing from Haumoana Beach, east of Hastings, for one week before his body washed up.

He was last seen on the evening of January 12 at the Haumoana Beach car park.

He was travelling around New Zealand and camping out of his car, a navy blue station wagon. Police believed he was parked at Haumoana from January 10.

Nearby residents phoned police when they noticed a build-up of rubbish around his seemingly-abandoned vehicle on January 13.

Goa said Paludet 'loved travelling', and had no children or partner. He left behind his mother, Monique, and brother Alexandre.

Alexandre was close with his brother, and came to visit him in November, she said.

The last contact the pair had with each other was on January 2, to wish each other a happy new year.

It was unknown when Paludet first arrived in New Zealand, however he worked for about five weeks between March and April last year as a kiwifruit picker with Ōpōtiki Packing and Coolstorage in Te Kaha, in the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Colleague Trudy Karauria said Paludet was friendly and worked well with everybody.

'He would often try to learn different Māori words from some of the boys in our team, which in return he would teach the boys some French words. Pierre definitely had some funny moments at work with us all that we will always remember,' she said.

Karauria said Paludet 'loved the sea', and would often be fishing at the bay or kayaking.

A Hawke's Bay police spokesman told Stuff on Wednesday Paludet's death was not being treated as suspicious.

Goa said the outpouring of support from New Zealanders had touched both her and Paludet's family.

Authorities would be repatriating his body, 'so that he is close to his family and friends'.

'I can only say that he died of his passion,' she said.

Paludet's death has been referred to the coroner.