A man died last night at a Hawke's Bay beach after he and a woman were swept out to sea.
Hawke's Bay police detective Mike Signal said they were swimming in chest-high water at Waimarama Beach.
Residents raised the alarm and entered the water to help.
Waimarama Surf Club volunteers along with the local volunteer fire crew helped the pair and some of the people who had gone into the water to assist.
The woman was conscious and the man was not breathing.
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CPR was performed but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Signal said there had been 'flash rips' in the water that day.
It was the second water death in the area that week.
Yesterday there were two rescues and 36 assists on Waimarama Beach.
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