The lagoon at Ocean Beach, near Hastings, where a three-year-old boy drowned on Christmas Day 2015.

Christmas Day has turned into tragedy after a three-year-old boy drowned at a lagoon while on a family outing in the Hawke's Bay.

Surf lifesavers at the popular Ocean Beach, near Waimarama, performed CPR for almost an hour but were unable to revive the toddler, Sergeant Eden Sewell, of Hastings police, said.

He said the emergency services were called to the beach about 2.20.pm.

The boy, who was at the beach with extended family and friends, died at the scene after his family found him in the water, in an unpatrolled area.

"Police, fire and ambulance staff with the rescue helicopter attended and the boy was flown back to Hastings Hospital."

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The matter had been referred to the coroner.

Lifesaving New Zealand's programmes and services manager, Jacob Davies, said two members of the beach's patrol assisted in the rescue.

"We were patrolling the beach itself and responded to a call around 2pm by a member of the public to assist saving the child near the lagoon," he said.

Despite their efforts, they were unable to revive the small boy.

Davies said he had spoken to one of the guards and support was being offered to both of them.

"They are trained to deal with this kind of thing, although it's hard on everyone, especially over Christmas. They are still lifeguarding at the moment," he said.

He was unaware of what led to the boy's drowning, but pleaded with parents and caregivers to actively supervise their children when near water.

"It is so raw. You need to make sure you watch your children and be vigilant. You need to be aware where you kids are. Be that in a pool, lagoon, lake and especially the sea."

As at Christmas Eve this year, 93 people had drowned, one more than last year's total and eight more than this time last year.

During the holiday period, from 4pm Christmas Eve to 6am on January 5, Surf Lifesaving is predicting seven people will drown, based on the average drowning toll for the past five years.

Surf Lifesaving national lifesaving manager Allan Mundy said there would be more than 4000 lifeguards on duty at about 80 beaches.

"We're an island nation and the beach is our natural playground - but stopping and thinking before you go into the water could save your life. Be prepared, watch out for yourself and others, be aware of the dangers and know your limits."

It was vital that beach goers chose a patrolled beach to have their day out at, with highly skilled lifeguards on hand, and swam between the flags, Mundy said.

The Christmas Day tragedy at Ocean Beach In January 2007, a 23-month-old boy, Kauri Jaydon Joseph Ngahuka,

RECENT TRAGEDIES IN THE WATER

* A 16-year-old international student drowned on December 5 while swimming in a lagoon near Awatoto, south of Napier. He attended New Horizon College and his name was suppressed by the coroner at father's request.

* Tauranga man Maninder Singh and Gisborne friend Jagdeep (Gary) Singh drowned at McLaren Falls in November after a waterside rope swing snapped. Rescue attempts from friends and members of the family were unsuccessful. The police dive team recovered the bodies.

* Terry Donald Booth, 55, of the Nelson area, Paul Russell Bennett, 35, of Motueka, and Jared Reese Husband, 47, of Timaru, were on Ocean Fisheries trawler FV Jubilee when it sank on October 18. The men never made it to the liferafts and their bodies were recovered about 10 days later.

* The 18-month-old son of former Central Pulse netball player Daya Wiffen drowned in a pond in rural Otaki in July.

* Top kayaker Louise Jull drowned in the Kaituna river near Rotorua in March. Her body was discovered a short distance from where she went missing. She was that 2014 New Zealand extreme series women's kayaking champion.

* Leslie Wan Wong, 71, was fishing by the mouth of Lake Onoke, where it enters Cook Strait near Lake Ferry in south Wairarapa, when he was swept away in August. He was pulled from the water by another fisherman, but was unable to be revived.