A major search was launched on Monday evening for a swimmer missing off the Wellington coast.
A man in his late 20s was swimming with a relative at Seatoun when he went missing at about 6.30pm.
Police inspector Marty Parker said police, the fire service, the airport crash unit, the Coastguard, maritime police and a rescue helicopter were all combing the water looking for the man.
At the time the man went missing, he said, there was an outgoing tide.