A body has been found in the search for a British man who went missing in Brazil nearly four months ago.
London-based finance manager Denis Kopanev, 33, mysteriously vanished on Monday, June 9 in Gavea, Rio de Janerio.
He was last seen on CCTV footage, which captured him exiting his holiday rental wearing a beige jacket and trousers, a dark baseball cap, and a white shirt. His passport and belongings were left in his room.
Local police said today a body was found on Tuesday morning in a remote area in the Tijuca forest, south of Rio after a gruelling search.
Kopanev’s wallet was found next to the body, which was discovered in an advanced state of composition, but a forensic examination will soon be carried out to confirm the identity, Brazilian news outlet G1 reports.
Police believe he may have suffered an accident and died while hiking along a trail.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told Daily Mail: ‘We supported the family of a British man reported missing in Brazil and are in touch with local authorities.’
The Brit, who had a Russia background, had arrived in Rio on the morning of June 8th and disappeared the following night.
A body has been found in the search for a British man who went missing in Brazil nearly four months ago
Denis Kopanev, 33, vanished on Monday, June 9 in Gavea, Rio de Janerio
The London-based finance manager was last seen o CCTV footage leaving his holiday rental
Kopanev was supposed to travel to Sao Paolo on June 10 to meet his friend Diego Garcia Blum, but after not hearing from him for several days, friends and family reported him missing.
Mr Garcia Blum, who first met Mr Kopanev in London in 2022, told LBC that his friend’s disappearance was ‘very odd’.
He said: ‘When I got [to Sao Paolo] and he wasn’t replying, I thought at first his phone must have been stolen.
‘He’s not someone who just wouldn’t respond. But then I started to get really worried, and I contacted his best friend who saw his phone stopped pinging on Monday.
‘The Airbnb landlord agreed that it’s very strange. We have him on camera leaving on Monday night and he doesn’t come back.’
The 36-year-old added that ‘clearly something went wrong’ because Mr Kopanev hadn’t taken his belongings with him.
His best friend Benone Moura said he loved Brazil and visited the country often, including as recently as six months ago.
Mr Moura said his friend had never travelled without letting his loved ones know beforehand.
According to police, Kopanev’s wallet was found next to the body
Pictured: A missing persons notice with an image of Mr Kopanev
His last contact with Mr Kopanev was at around 5pm on Sunday, June 8.
After Mr Kopanev was reported missing, his mother Olga said: ‘There are no words to describe the feelings of despair, anxiety, fear, concern – and hope – that parents feel at this moment in their life.
‘Denis is a caring son with a kind soul. He likes travel, sports, music, reading and good jokes, like most of us.’
At the time of Denis’ disappearance, the Met police said: ‘Officers are supporting an investigation into the sudden disappearance of 33-year-old Denis Kopanev.
‘Denis was last seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday, 9 June at around 19:30hrs. He had travelled there from his home in Southwark, London.
‘Brazilian police are leading the investigation, and are working closely with the Met, as well as the Foreign Office, Interpol and other international organisations.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .