A 23-year-old student from Thailand has drowned while swimming at a beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Emergency services were called to Maroubra Beach earlier today after reports that a man had disappeared in the water.

Officers found the man a short time later and pulled him on to the beach.

Police and paramedics tried to resuscitate him.

Police say he was taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Later in the day a 10-year-old boy was pulled from the surf at the Maroubra Beach with suspected spinal injuries.

Paramedics say he came off his surfboard.

He is in a stable condition and has been taken to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick.