Searchers looking for a teenage boy who was swept off the rocks in Tauranga on Saturday night have found a body.

The Stuff.co.nz website have reported the missing boy is Hamish Rieger, 17. The youngster was sitting on rocks with friends, was washed into the sea by a large wave about 7pm and hasn't been seen.

Hamish Rieger. Photo: Supplied

Police, coastguard and surf lifesavers were searching for him in the area around Moturiki Island at Mount Maunganui (Mauao) on Saturday night, but had to call off the search when they lost light.

Hamish Rieger, on patrol with Kent Jarman in December, was swept out to sea on Saturday.

They began again at first light on Sunday. Just before midday teams returned to shore with the Tauranga teen's body, Sunlive reported.

Lifeguards are continuing their search for a teenager swept out to sea on Saturday night at Mount Maunganui.

Police worked with Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Coastguard and LandSAR to cover the search area in what they described as "very challenging" conditions. On Sunday morning there was a cordon up across the path onto the island and uniformed lifeguards could be seen stationed at points around the island. The sea remained choppy and surfers were making the most of conditions.

Two IRBs (inflatable rescue boats) could be seen out on the side of Moturiki Island furtherest from Mauao.

Local man Stan Lilley said he was doing what he could to help.

IRBS are out in force in the search for the missing teen.

Lilley did a stint on the beach with his binoculars on Sunday morning.

"I heard about it and thought I would come down and hopefully help," he says.

"I thought, you never know. Every set of eyes helps."

The surf had been very high the last three or four days, he said, and he could hear it from his home near Bayfair Shopping Centre.

Moturiki Island was "not a good place to be when there's high surf", he says.

He planned to come back later in the day for another period of watching.

A path on Moturiki Island remains cordoned off.

The boy's family and friends were being assisted by victim support volunteers during the search.

Police are asking anyone in the area either, on land or at sea, to be vigilant and report any possible sighting on the young man. He was wearing a pair of Dark Blue shorts at the time he went missing.

It's not the first time a boy has been swept out to sea in the area.

Police are working with Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Coastguard and LandSAR to cover the search area in what they described as "very challenging" conditions.

In October 2014 Jack Dixon, 5, was snatched from the seashore by a wave on the eastern side of Mount Maunganui during a family day out at Shelley Beach.

He had been with his two cousins, taking one last photo before leaving, when a rogue wave generated by a king tide knocked them into the water.

The two girls managed to clamber back on to the rocks but Jack was never seen again.

A search for the teen began again at first light on Sunday.

Extensive searches of the surrounding area over many weeks failed to find any sign of him.

The search for a missing Tauranga teenager resumed on Sunday morning after he was swept off the rocks on Saturday.

• Body found

- Stuff