A woman has died in a diving incident off the coast of Hahei Beach in the Coromandel Peninsula.
The female diver was reported missing from Feal Bay on the edge of the marine reserve at 2pm.
Senior Sergeant Gael Mockford, of Waikato Police, said emergency services including the police Eagle helicopter, Coastguard and surf life savers began a search for the woman.
"A search team was also deployed to search the shore. When bubbles were sighted in the water near rocks a number of boaties, scuba divers and snorklers converged on the area.''
Searchers located the woman about 3pm and her body was taken to shore by a rescue boat.
''A short time later however, despite the best efforts of rescuers the woman was pronounced deceased by an attending doctor,'' said Mockford.
Hahei resident Colin Haworth said emergency services had been searching the waters north of Hahei for about two hours.
"I think they've found the body," he said. "Everything's gone quiet."
Initially boats were out searching and then a helicopter was called. Haworth believed the diver had ended up at the far end of the beach near the stream.
The diver may not have been from the area as groups also came over from Whitianga, he said.
Northern Fire Communications shift manager Scott Osmond said the Pauanui rescue boat had been dispatched to Hahei in search of a missing diver.
"A lot of people were involved in the initial search for the woman and her subsequent recovery and police would like to acknowledge their efforts,'' said Mockford.
Mockford said police were still working to identify the woman and locate her family.
"We will not be able to release the woman's name until her family have been notified. Police would like to extend our sympathies to the woman's family for their loss."
