Relatives of the man found dead at his South Auckland home are as confused as anyone by the circumstances of his death.

Police have confirmed the death of 34-year-old Papatoetoe man Michael William Roiall on Monday was accidental, and it is understood it was the result of a home experiment which went wrong.

It's believed the man was an amateur inventor and the home-made helmet, with which he was attempting to control devices in his home, suffocated him.

Uncle Matt Roiall, 60, had heard his nephew was found with tape around his head and said he could not shake his “anger and disappointment”, because of the avoidable nature of the situation.

He described him as an outgoing man who had had some get-rich-quick schemes in the past, but the idea of Michael being an inventor was a foreign concept to the whole family.

“To hear how it happened just angered me and I just think it’s a crazy way to go,” Matt said.

“If it was natural causes or a car accident I could handle that, but him dying by himself, it doesn’t compute with me ... I’d rather someone say he was on drugs and had an overdose.”

Matt said Micheal’s father and two older brothers had been struggling to come to terms with his death.

“A great guy who’s done some great things for us,” is how Matt said he would remember his nephew.

Just recently he described how Michael had been an "unbelievable help" building a fence.

He was someone with potential and Matt said the whole family were asking the same question: "What was he thinking?"

An autopsy was completed on Tuesday morning, after which police confirmed the death was accidental.

Detective Senior Sergeant Albie Alexander said the 34-year-old's body had been found by family, who spent the evening contacting other relatives.

He would not be drawn on the specific circumstances of the death.

- © Fairfax NZ News