The search has been called off for a 24-year-old swimmer who went missing north of Wellington on Saturday.
Albert Alapati and four others got caught in a rip at about 4pm, but he was the only one not to be rescued.
An extensive, land, marine and aerial search failed to
find him and the search was called off today, a police spokeswoman said.
Titahi Bay surfer Jason Wilson-Haenga said Mr Alapati was torn from his arms as he tried to hold him afloat above the massive waves, TVNZ reported.
"I was hugging on to him front on, so I could see his face. When you look at someone like that when they're just about gone ... if I had been on dry land I probably could have saved him," he said.
