A man is fighting for his life in a Wollongong hospital after being pulled unconscious from the water at a popular Illawarra beach, capping off a devastating festive period on the New South Wales coast that has claimed seven lives.
Critical Incident at Kiama's Surf Beach
The latest near-fatal incident occurred at Kiama's Surf Beach around 9:30am on Sunday, January 4. A man in his 30s got into difficulty while swimming and was pulled from the ocean unconscious.
Lifesavers and lifeguards performed immediate resuscitation on the beach before the critically injured swimmer was airlifted to Wollongong Hospital. He remains in a life-threatening condition.
A Deadly Start to the New Year
This rescue is one of more than 200 performed since New Year's Day, a period marred by multiple tragedies. Seven people have drowned in NSW since the festive period began, with each fatality occurring at an unpatrolled location.
The deadly sequence of events includes a 34-year-old man who drowned at Green Patch Beach in Jervis Bay on Saturday after struggling in rough conditions. He was one of four people pulled from the water simultaneously.
On Friday, a man in his 50s died at Lobster Bay in Currarong, with police investigating whether the cause was drowning or a medical episode.
New Year's Eve saw a man drown and a teenager disappear after their dinghy capsized at Sydney's Palm Beach. The following day, January 1, proved particularly tragic with three separate drownings: a 45-year-old woman at Dunbogan Beach who was attempting to save a child from a rip, a man in his 20s who disappeared at Coogee Beach, and a 25-year-old woman at Maroubra Beach.
Illawarra Region Sees Multiple Emergencies
The Illawarra region has witnessed several other serious incidents beyond the Kiama rescue. On January 2, paramedics treated a man in his 70s near the Bellambi Beach rockpool after he suffered a medical episode, transporting him to hospital in a critical condition.
Earlier, on December 27, a man was saved from a rip at Coledale Beach. The region is also dealing with the unresolved disappearance of a 34-year-old fisherman at Bushrangers Bay in Shell Cove on December 22, following an extensive three-day search.
Lifesaving Chief's Plea for Safety
NSW Surf Life Saving CEO Steven Pearce has issued a stark warning, urging beachgoers to "take some self-responsibility" especially at unpatrolled locations. He emphasised the myth that rips are easily visible to the untrained eye.
"People just think they're very clear, but unless you've got a trained eye sometimes you just won't see it," Mr Pearce told ABC radio on Monday.
He advised the public to always supervise children closely, pack a flotation device like a bodyboard for emergencies, and ensure they have phone connectivity to call Triple Zero if needed. "The water isn't going to be calm, it's going to be rough and you need something to hold onto," he stressed.
The series of incidents highlights the critical importance of swimming at patrolled beaches during patrol hours and heeding safety warnings, particularly during the volatile summer holiday period.
