Westpac Rescue Helicopter head paramedic Barry Watkins helps doctors and paramedics attend to one of the two men pulled from surf at Papamoa Beach. Photo / Supplied
Police have released the name of a man who drowned while fishing at Papamoa beach in the Bay of Plenty last night.
He was Alesana Seneka, a 44-year-old from Auckland.
Senior sergeant Eddie Lyttle from Tauranga police said it appeared he got into difficulty while attempting to catch fish with a net in chest-high water.
Mr Seneka was visiting family in Papamoa.
He was pulled ashore by relatives after getting into trouble about 7.25pm.
St John ambulance paramedics tried to revive him as he lay on the beach about 1km south of Papamoa Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.
After 30 minutes of CPR the man was pronounced dead.
Acting Senior Sergeant Nigel Ramsden said police were still investigating but the man may have suffered some kind of medical condition.
The cause of death would be determined by a post-mortem examination, expected to be done today.
The drowning came just a day after two German tourists were saved from a rip at Papamoa. The men were the first swimmers to be rescued since paid lifeguards started patrolling the beach a week before Christmas.
'It’s been a tough year and now we feel like we can breathe.'