The family of Peter Beard, the artist and wildlife photographer who disappeared last month from his ocean bluff property on Long Island’s East End, said that a body found on Sunday in Montauk was Mr. Beard’s.

After a 19-day search, the East Hampton Town Police released a statement on Sunday afternoon saying it discovered “the remains of an elderly male consistent with the physical and clothing description of Mr. Beard was located in a densely wooded area.” The police added that the investigation remained open while the body, discovered in Camp Hero State Park in Montauk, awaited identification by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

On Sunday evening, the Beard family, through a spokeswoman, issued a statement saying that they were “all heartbroken by the confirmation of our beloved Peter’s death.”