Race Relations Commissioner sends 'heartfelt love' to family of Fletcher Wong following his death

Tributes are pouring in for teenager Fletcher Wong, who was found dead after going missing from the Rhythm and Vines music festival this week.

Police and LandSAR launched a search for the 19-year-old after he was reported missing from the New Year's Eve event at Waiohika Estate.

He was last seen leaving the admissions area at around 2am on Tuesday.

Race Relations Commissioner and former mayor of Gisborne Meng Foon, who had appealed for information on "our nephew's" disappearance online, said he was saddened to hear that the teenager had died.

"We are sad with Fletcher's passing. We pass on our condolences to the family of Fletcher," he told Newshub.

"We call our young Chinese boys as our nephews. As we have young children too, our heartfelt love goes to the families. I thank the police for their dedication to the case of finding Fletcher."

Dave Keat, the sports director at Wellington College where Wong was a pupil, told the NZ Herald he was a "nice kid" and had been a member of the school's XI football team and their champion futsal team.

"The whole college community are in shock," Keat said. "He was a good keen player. He was quiet, he was well-liked by staff and the boys.

"He was keen on football and futsal. He was up against it because he was quite a small lad but he always gave it his all."

Wellington College Futsal posted to social media that they were also saddened to hear of the death.

"Words cannot express our sorrow. We send our love to his family and will cherish his memory always," the post said.

Other tributes have said Wong was a "gorgeous, humble, well-mannered guy" who was "a dynamo" on the futsal court.