A man who drowned at Hot Water Beach yesterday was a member of a Tauranga Christian organisation and died reportedly trying to save a child who was in difficulty in the water.

Couples for Christ New Zealand posted to its Facebook followers that Angelo Tuyay had died trying to save a child drowning in the Coromandel area.

Tuyay, aged in his 50s, was pulled from the water and rescuers performed CPR, but he died at the scene.

The Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter responded after reports that a male patient was struggling in the water around 4pm.

A police spokesperson said the man's death had been referred to the coroner.