Waikato Police say a teenage girl has drowned in the Whangamata Harbour after her paddle board was trapped under a boat this afternoon.

Police and working with the Waikato Regional Council to establish the circumstances surrounding the drowning which occurred near the wharf on Beach Rd at about 2pm.

Waikato Police say a teenage girl has drowned in the Whangamata Harbour after her paddle board became trapped under a boat. Photo: Wikipedia

Thames Coromandel Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Graham Shields says at this stage they cannot confirm the exact circumstances of the incident.

'It appears the boat was moored at the time and a teenage girl on the paddle board was swept underneath by a combination of wind and a strong current.

'People at the scene rescued her and commenced CPR which was continued by arriving medical and ambulance staff. Sadly these efforts were not successful in reviving her.”

Graham says many people worked hard to keep her alive and their thoughts were with them and the girl's family.

The priority now for Police is to establish what happened and to ensure the victim's family, some of whom who are at the scene, get the support they need.

'We will work with the Waikato Regional Council Harbour Master to establish exactly what occurred and see if anything can be learned to prevent repeat incidents in the future.”

Graham says today's incident was a reminder of how quickly a fun time on the water can go wrong.

This summer 17 agencies, including Police, Surf Life Saving and the regional council have all been working under the umbrella of the Safe Summer Coromandel campaign to prevent deaths.

Regional council staff in particular have spent long hours on the water over the last few weeks trying to keep people safe, he says.

'At this point the agencies urge people to take the time to identify what tides and currents are doing and never underestimate the power of moving water.

'Also be aware of the limits of your own abilities in the water.”