A father drowned last night when he was caught in a rip while swimming with his young son at a surf beach in New Plymouth.
The 45-year-old man's death came one day after a fisherman drowned after being swept off rocks near Waihi Beach on Tuesday night.
The Waitara man was swimming with his 10-year-old son at Fitzroy Beach about 7pm when he was caught in a rip and was swept 80m to 100m off shore.
Two surfers from the New Plymouth Board Riders club grabbed two boards from the Fitzroy club rooms and, with another person, swam out to help the man.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand officer Andrew Cronin said off-duty lifeguards from the nearby East End surf club pulled the man into a rescue boat.