A man has drowned after swimming out from a beach on the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington, to check his fishing nets.
A friend who was on Raumati Beach at the time raised the alarm after losing sight of him about 50 metres off shore.
Initial reports indicate the 68-year-old may have been in the water for about half before his body was found.
He was wearing a wetsuit, and sea conditions at the time were smooth.
