A man working on a forestry block near Dannevirke was found dead on Saturday after he did not return home from work.

Police were notified around 8.15pm on Friday that the man was missing.

Police co-ordinated a search operation with help from the landowner and a man was discovered dead at the bottom of a bank.

The man’s body was recovered on Saturday morning with the assistance of Fire and Emergency NZ and Land Search and Rescue.

Police said WorkSafe was advised of the incident.

WorkSafe confirmed it had opened an investigation into the incident and expressed condolences to the whānau of the man.

“Forestry is a high-risk sector in Aotearoa, and WorkSafe is committed to reducing injury and fatality rates in partnership with workers, industry, iwi, and communities.”