Body found in search for missing postie, car found a kilometre away

Wednesday, 22 April 2026

A body has been found in the search for missing Wellington local Philip Sutton with his car found at a kilometre from where it has been parked.

Police search teams found what was believed to be Sutton's body about midday on Wednesday near the mouth of the Karori stream .

Earlier police said Sutton’s car, a Suzuki Swift, was found near 7km from his house but later updated that to 1k from where it was parked. South Karori Rd is beside the upper part of Karori Stream.

Senior Sergeant Craig Pickering said the floodwaters hit with “ferocious strength”.

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Police confirmed they had Sutton’s phone, but could not say whether he called 111 for help.

Emergency services were called early on Monday morning after Sutton, aged in his 60s, couldn’t be found following a night of flash flooding across the capital.

Sutton had been looking after a property on South Karori Rd for his sister, which was found to have been destroyed by floodwaters and debris.

Search and Rescue teams spent hours on Monday clearing the property and nearby areas but to no avail, Wellington District Prevention Manager Inspector Fleur de Bes said.

However, the search was paused on Tuesday after conditions worsened.

“Physical searching could not safely proceed yesterday due to unstable stream banks, variable and fast-moving water, debris and damaged terrain,” de Bes said.

The search resumed shortly after 8am on Wednesday. Police teams were supported by specialist teams, including canyon Search and Rescue, the Dive Squad, a dog unit and drone.

Sutton had worked as a postie for NZ Post for more than 20 years and excelled in kung fu, colleague Ben Denton told Stuff.

He described Sutton as a “kind, quiet” man and a “solid sort of guy”.

Philips's family had expressed thanks for the public's concern and support, but asked for privacy.

At the scene, part of the house has been washed away, with debris and mud strewn across the property. A nearby bridge was destroyed as floodwaters surged through the area.