Searchers have no intention of giving up looking for Warriors rugby league player Sonny Fai, presumed drowned off Auckland's West Coast.

Fai, 20, disappeared off Bethells Beach late on Sunday after going to the aid of a younger brother who got into trouble in the surf.

He helped his brother to safety and then vanished without trace.

After another day's fruitless searching on Thursday, family and friends said they would be out again on Friday.

Search parties, many of them consisting of Warriors players, and family members have been at the beach every day since Sunday but police said there was no chance he would be found alive.

Surf lifeguards carried out a two-hour search on Thursday morning with three rescue boats and a helicopter.

The police helicopter Eagle also made several sweeps over the beach in the hope that his body had come to the surface and could be recovered for the family.

Police said it was difficult to predict where the body may be because of the strong tidal currents and rips in the area, and the Eagle searched north and south of the beach.

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