A man and his 7-year-old son are missing after their dinghy capsized in the Manukau Harbour near the old Mangere Bridge.

A run of accidents in the rope industry over the past year has prompted a new set of safety guidelines.

A Mangere man, 45, and his 7-year-old son had been missing since their aluminium dinghy tipped over under the old Mangere Bridge, sending a group of five into the water. Rescuers pulled three children to safety.

Witnesses say children tipped into a powerful current when their family's dinghy capsized this afternoon were desperately calling for help as they clung on for dear life.

The man who "woke up in someone else's life" after a cycling accident is still missing 10 years of his life.