A video image taken through a borehole in February was later found to contain an anomaly, with this shape resembling that of a fully clothed miner laying face down, according to a senior forensic pathologist.

Subsequent scanning from a cal-scan laser device of the same location also provided more supporting evidence.

While police noted that the scanning technology gives an impression of objects in the environment, “rather than a detailed image”, the scanned image was considered consistent with the pathologist’s assessment.

This information was first presented by police to the Pike River families during a weekly meeting on Wednesday.

However, a union leader believes police would have preferred to keep these early findings under wraps.

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union represents coal miners in New Zealand, and its national secretary Andrew Little was not sure how family members first heard about the possible discovery of a body.

“The police are reluctant to disclose anything, it was only because the families found out, so police made the disclosure,” he told ILN.

“They had been pretty reluctant to make it because they were uncertain about the full circumstances of where the body is and what state it is in.”

Little also believes it is likely that a deceased miner has been found.

“We have had sort of informal confirmation that it’s pretty accurate – the image shows there is a body there.

“But they [police] are not disclosing where it could be.”

The captured video footage also revealed that a box containing fire-fighting equipment had been opened.

Little said it was unknown whether it was blown open by an explosion, or if a miner managed to open it.

“Families think if somebody got there, they might have survived for a period of time,” he said.

Little added that the discovery of one intact body will provide hope that there will be others.

Only two miners managed to escape the mine since the first methane explosion on November 19, and they were both located a considerable distance from where the ignition is thought to have taken place.

Key Pike survivor Daniel Rockhouse became “drunk” from carbon monoxide poisoning following the blast, but managed to help fellow survivor Russell Smith escape.

In late January, chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean found that all the 29 men missing in the Pike River disaster died within minutes of the first explosion at the mine.

Hopes of finding more survivors from the mine ended after the second underground explosion on November 24.

Damage from subsequent methane explosions and a fire underground further complicated recovery work.

As part of the ongoing mine stabilisation activity, crews aim to identify whether a roof fall has taken place underground, which could compromise efforts to inertise deeper areas of the mine.

Work is underway to provide more confirmation that a body has been discovered.