A 69-year-old local man drowned at Karekare Beach in Auckland this afternoon.
Karekare Beach Photo: 123rf.com
Emergency services were called to the area shortly before 2pm.
Police said it appeared the man got into difficulty while making his way to a fishing spot on an island at the south end of Karekare beach.
They said he was rescued from the water by a surfer and then taken to the beach by a Surf Livesaving patrol .
CPR was attempted but was not successful.