A body washed onto New Plymouth's popular Back beach yesterday evening.
The body of a 55-year-old man was spotted by Anna Howard, a New Plymouth resident, and her friend.
Howard told the Taranaki Daily News she saw something suspicious in the water from atop Paritutu rock, and called the police at 5:37.
"About five minutes later they arrived with an ambulance", she said.
The Taranaki Community Rescue Helicopter was called by police shortly before 6pm, and spotted the man's body from the air, just 10m from the shore.
