A body has been recovered during the second day of a search for a missing kayaker at Waihī Beach, police say.

The man, and kayak, were brought to shore with the help of the Royal New Zealand Navy and Coastguard Whangamatā just before 3pm today, a police statement said.

Formal identification of the body was ongoing but police believed it to be the body of the missing man, who was last seen yesterday.

Police received reports about 5.40pm on Tuesday that a man entered the water in a kayak earlier that day and had not been seen since.

Sergeant Will Hamilton said this morning the search operation ran through the evening, including help from the police’s Eagle helicopter, and into today.

Police said their thoughts were with the man’s friends and loved ones.