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UPDATED 8pm: The search for a missing 5-year-old boy swept into the sea at Mount Maunganui will resume at first light.

Police tonight say enquiries into today's incident confirm there were eight extended family members together at the Mount; two female adults and six children.

They had walked around the Mount base track and then went down to Shelly Beach.

Two sisters aged 12 and 14 were playing by the edge of the water with the little boy who is their cousin. The others were close by watching them.

A sudden large wave washed the children into the water. The two girls managed to get to a nearby rock and were helped to shore by the adults. The little boy disappeared from view.

The two girls were taken to hospital to be checked over and have since been discharged. The family of the missing boy are local to the Tauranga area.

Police can confirm that the two adult females present were relatives but will not discuss the relationship.

The base track around the Mount will reopen overnight but will close again at 7am to aid the search operation.

5pm: Police will continue searching for a five-year-old boy sucked into surf on the north side of Mauao earlier today, until they lose daylight.

Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair said at a press conference held at the Mount Surf Club this afternoon that the boy was part of a family group from Mount Mauganui and Tauranga.

Describing it as a tragic accident, Karl says there were six children and two adults in the family group.

Three of them were swept into the sea at Shelley Beach. Two sisters aged 12 and 14 managed to climb onto a rock and were pulled to safety.

The two adults went to the aid of the girls and lost sight of the boy, says Karl.

Tauranga City Council has closed all tracks on Mauao until further notice.

Earlier: Searches of the sea near North Rock by a Port of Tauranga survey boat, Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard craft and surf lifeguard RIBs falied to find any sign of the missing boy.

A rescue helipcopter was also called to help search for the child.

A Police North Communications spokesperson says: "A major search and rescue is underway in Mount Maunganui for a child who has been swept out to sea. More details will follow shortly.

"In the meantime we are asking the public to avoid the area by the area by the Base Track at Mount Maunganui. There is a safety risk and all available resources are assisting with the search for the missing child."

The alarm was raised at 11:50am after a woman and three young children were carried out into the water on Shelly Beach.

The woman managed to rescue two of the children, both girls, but divers are now preparing to go out as the search for the boy continues.

Police have blocked off the Mount Base Track and an ambulance is waiting at the surf club.

Police are also consoling what looks like a tearful woman on the beach.

This is the second incident in the area today with a surfer being swept out just off Mount Main Beach.

The surfer raised his hand in distress and was rescued by Mount Maunganui Surf Lifeguards.

A police officer looking for the child.

St. John paramedics on the base track at the Mount with one of the children pulled out of the sea.

Policemen search for the missing boy on Mount Maunganui.