Missing fisherman near Thames

The story so far

A person was reported missing in the water near the Waikawau boat ramp on the Thames Coast on Monday morning, after another person reached the shore to say they had got into difficulty.^{22, 23 Dec 2025} The missing person was described as a rock fisher, and a multi-agency response including police, coastguard, and fire and emergency services began a search.^{22, 23 Dec 2025} A police dive squad and drones were deployed to search for the missing man.^{23 Dec 2025} On Wednesday morning, a member of the public found a body on a beach near Thames Coast Road, and police believe it is the man who went missing on Monday.^{24 Dec 2025}

Latest

Police believe a body found on a beach near Thames Coast Road on Wednesday is the missing man, though formal identification has not yet been completed.^{24 Dec 2025}

Key moments

1. 22 Dec 2025Search launched for person missing in water near Waikawau boat ramp.
2. 23 Dec 2025Police dive squad and drones join search for missing rock fisher.
3. 24 Dec 2025Body found on beach near Thames Coast Road, believed to be missing man.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.