FRIENDS of the boatie who lost his life at sea gathered in Whakatāne this afternoon as he was brought ashore.

Searches began in the early hours of this morning for a man reported overboard from a recreational fishing vessel, partway between Whakatāne and Whakaari-White Island.

The Beacon understands the boat is from Tauranga and regularly fishes in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and around the East Coast.

The skipper and his friends are avid big game fishers and are believed to have been participating in the Tauranga Sport Fishing Club’s 10-week Bluefin Bust Up tournament.

Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre was notified that the man was missing at about 3am, but he was reported to have been last seen on board around midnight.

A search involving two Coastguard vessels and rescue helicopters was launched soon after the rescue coordination centre was notified and continued until the afternoon.

Searchers were joined in a 300 square nautical mile search grid by recreational boaties, around where the man was believed to have gone missing, about 10 nautical miles east of Whakaari.

At about 2pm, a rescue helicopter could be seen circling one area of the water, before heading back to Whakatāne. A second helicopter had already returned to land.

Coastguard Whakatāne's Rescue II and the harbourmaster boat, Te Kauika, returned to the boat ramp about half an hour later.

A boatie who arrived at about the same time said he was not part of a civilian search effort, but during his time on the water he could hear updates over the radio.

“It’s just a sad day,” he said.

“I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

Two boat loads of people who appeared to know the deceased gathered at the boat ramp this afternoon, as police stood watch at the Coastguard building.

His friends arrived in an unmarked police car minutes before the hearse arrived.

Police confirmed that the body of a man had been found off the coast of Whakatāne, and was believed to be the missing boatie.

The formal identification process is under way to confirm the identity of the man.

Police wished to thank the Rescue Coordination Centre, and Coastguard Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki volunteers for their assistance with the search.