Human remains found on Coppermine Island confirmed as missing fisherman Ferzil Babu

Brodie Stone

Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·

12 Mar, 2026 11:32 PMQuick Read

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Human remains found on an island off the East Coast of Northland have been confirmed as missing fisherman Ferzil Babu.

Babu, 34, went missing after a fishing trip at The Gap, Taiharuru, in May 2024.

The body of his friend, Sarath Kumar, 37, was
located by the police dive squad two days after the pair went missing.

A police spokeswoman said a member of the Department of Conservation contacted police after finding the remains on Coppermine Island, in the Hen and Chicken Islands group, east of Bream Bay, on December 20 last year.

“The remains have since been examined by a pathologist, anthropologist, and ESR scientists as we worked to identify who the person was.”