Rio de Janeiro: The family of Australian man Rye Hunt missing in Rio de Janeiro said they are "disgusted" that Brazilian media sent them photos of an unidentified body by text message, asking if it was that of Mr Hunt.

Brazilian police are investigating the discovery of a body on a beach on Wednesday morning, and will carry out DNA tests to determine whether it is that of the missing traveller.

The 25-year-old Tasmanian vanished in Rio on May 21 after a night out in the city's party district, where he and travel companion Mitchell Sheppard allegedly took what they believed to be MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy.