A man and his dog are missing after their helicopter failed to arrive on a journey north from the NSW Hunter region.
An extensive land and sea search was under way on Friday, following reports the helicopter went missing the previous day.
Police were told the helicopter left Cessnock on Thursday morning bound for either Wallis Island, near Forster, or an area near Kempsey on the state's mid-north coast.
A 54-year-old man and his dog were reported to be on board.
Police and volunteers from the State Emergency Service, Marine Rescue NSW and surf lifesaving organisations were conducting a search around the Port Stephens area.
Debris that washed up on Bennetts Beach at Hawks Nest, about 90km east of Cessnock, was being examined to determine if it was from the missing aircraft.
Search crews have been battling difficult conditions, with rain and blustery winds hitting the area in the morning.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has also been notified of the incident.
Marine Rescue NSW inspector Steve Raymond said a local crew was deployed to help with the search, working alongside water police from Port Stephens Heads to Bennetts Beach in the north.
