A yachtsman was found floating face-down in the sea on the main shipping approach to Tauranga Harbour on Saturday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner of Tauranga Police said people from another boat radioed Coastguard about finding an unoccupied yacht beside the Port of Tauranga's "A" buoy - the buoy ships steered for before entering the harbour.
He said Coastguard arrived soon after and found a man floating face-down in the water near the yacht. The young Coastguard staff pulled the man on board and applied CPR all the way back in until St John paramedics took over.
''It was excellent work by Coastguard but unfortunately, he was unable to be revived.''
Turner said it was up to the Coroner to rule on the cause of death, but to him, it looked like a tragic accident.