Marine police say a missing fisherman reeled in a mako shark and then lost his footing before being dragged under water 55 kilometres off the NSW coast.

In short:

A Sydney man, identified by the NSW Game Fishing Association as Paul Barning, fell overboard during a fishing competition north of Newcastle on Sunday.

Police say Mr Barning was dragged into the water by the shark when he became tangled in tackle and that it was not a shark attack.

What’s next?

An air and sea search for the missing man will continue further south.