Police, the coastguard and emergency services are swooping on Kauri Point, north of Katikati, in an effort to locate a man who they suspect has drowned this afternoon while fishing.

Katikati senior constable Lindsay Freeman has told SunLive a Samoan man jumped off the wharf to try and retrieve his fishing rod, after he thought he had a sting ray on his line.
TrustPower TECT rescue helicopter at the scene. Photo by Elaine Fisher.

'He has then got towed so far out and he appears to have run out of puff and drowned.”

Kauri Point resident Brendan Thomas has told SunLive he and a neighbour took a small boat out to help with the search after they heard calls for help from the wharf.

'We were out on the water for three-quarters of an hour searching for the man but we must have just missed finding the guy.”

A SunLive reporter at the scene says two police cars and an ambulance are at Kauri Point wharf and Waihi Beach Coastguard has confirmed it's on it way and 'and a rescue has so far done about half a dozen or more sweeps of the area”.

"It's also landed at Kauri Point so crew can to talk to witnesses to gain more information on where to search.

'There is also a few locals who look like they are searching for the man in their boats as well.”

Western Bay of Plenty Senior Sergeant Glenn Saunders says the search and rescue operation underway in the harbour is for a 40-year-old male.

'He vanished after getting into difficulty in a current. Police, Coastguard and members of the public are assisting in an on water and shore search for the man.”

Glenn says a Police Dive Squad, currently in Tauranga assisting in another operation, will focus on this incident also. 'They will assist in the search for the missing man once they have completed their current duties.”

Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter pilot Liam Brettkelly says the Tauranga-based rescue helicopter was called to assist in the search for the missing fisherman.

'The helicopter searched for 40 minutes before being stood down.”

A Tauranga Coastguard member confirmed they received a mid-afternoon callout about somebody in trouble in the water near Kauri Point, but says they could not reach the destination due to low tide and passed the callout to Waihi Beach Coastguard, which immediately sent its coastguard vessel followed by an IRB.

Waihi Beach Coastguard is heading to an emergency water callout near Kauri Point north of Katikati. Photo: File.

Keep checking Sunlive for further information.

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