Breaking: Body found in search for Gold Coast boatie

A body has been found in the search for a boatie who went missing in the water off Hope Island on the Gold Coast yesterday.

Police said the 55-year-old man was found dead at 8:45am by officers at the mouth of Saltwater Creek, after a major air and sea search.

Emergency services were called to the Boykambil Esplanade Boat Ramp at Hope Island about 5pm yesterday after reports the man was heard yelling for help.

Police said the man, who lived on a sailboat in the Broadwater, went missing when he tried to paddle his broken-down tinnie back to his sailing boat.

"Somehow he became separated from his boat and he's obviously ended up in the water," Acting Inspector Peter Venz said.

"The circumstances around that we don't know."

The tinnie was found at nearby Coombabah Creek last night.

Acting Inspector Venz said the man was reported to be a strong swimmer with no known medical conditions, but he had badly cut his foot on barnacles earlier in the day.

Police searched the area into the early hours of this morning and resumed their search at first light today with help from Marine Rescue Queensland crews, the Polair aircraft and sonar assets.

Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious and they would prepare a report for the coroner.