An 80-year-old man who drowned while fishing on the NSW south coast died “doing what he loved”, police said.

Police searched Bewong Creek, south of Nowra, on Tuesday night following reports the local man didn’t return home from a fishing trip.

The “avid fisherman’s” body was found just after 8am on Wednesday in the creek near his boat.

“He died in tragic circumstances doing what he loved, fishing, and our thoughts also go out to all the families who tragically have had a loved one lost over the last couple of weeks while being on our waterways,” Shoalhaven police Chief Inspector Steven Johnson said.

The man becomes the 19th person in NSW to drown or die while in the water since Christmas Day.

The fisherman, who was possibly thrown overboard, was not believed to have been wearing a life jacket at the time, police said.

“If you are out in the beach, make sure that you are between the flags and don’t swim in dangerous conditions. If you are on a boat … under 4.2m, make sure you are wearing a life jacket, or any other time in which the law prescribes,” Insp Johnson said.

We don’t want to be in the situation again where we have to go around and tell a member of a family that, tragically, a loved one has lost their life while being on the water.”