A body has been recovered north of Piha Beach after being spotted by the police Eagle helicopter last night.
Police said they believed it to be a 16-year-old swimmer reported missing from Whatipu Beach - an unpatrolled beach near the entrance to the Manukau Harbour - on 29 December.
Searches were carried out for six days before being scaled back.
A post mortem and a formal identification will now be carried out.