The New South Wales death toll for coastal drownings has reached a record high this summer, after a man in his 50s died on the state's lower Mid North Coast.
Surf Life Saving NSW received reports at about 7.20pm on Sunday that a male had become submerged in a rip at Treachery Beach in Seal Rocks.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a Pacific Palms Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) crew were called to the area.
Following an air and sea search, a helicopter operator located the man at the north end of the beach.
"It was right on twilight so the visibility was extremely low," Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steven Pearce said.
A paramedic winched from the helicopter and a SLSC jet ski operator worked to retrieve the man's body.
"But tragically that gentleman was declared deceased," Mr Pearce said.
Record number of drownings
There have now been 26 coastal drownings in the state since December 1, surpassing last year's total of 25 for the entire three-month summer period.
"We still have plenty of summer to go yet and, with a forecast hot weekend, we're concerned that potentially this toll could rise even further," Mr Pearce said.
Surf Life Saving NSW has advised beachgoers to swim at patrolled locations.
"The 26 drownings are all drownings that have occurred in an unpatrolled location," Mr Pearce said.
"Out of those 26 fatalities, five of those have been bystander rescue fatalities where someone has entered the water to try to rescue someone and in turn have become the fatality themselves."
Editor's note: This article was amended on 21/2/2023 to clarify details about the rescue operation at Seal Rocks.
