Man dies after Puckeys rescue

A Figtree man who was pulled from the surf at North Wollongong last week has died in hospital.Paolo Lucchini, 30, was swimming with a friend on Thursday afternoon when they got into trouble in the surf in front of Puckeys estate.He died in Wollongong Hospital on Saturday night.On Thursday the two swimmers entered an unpatrolled, calm-looking stretch of sea 300m north of Puckeys Creek about 5.30pm. Beach-goers spotted Mr Lucchini floating 150m from where he had been swimming with a friend. The friend dragged himself out of the water at 5.40pm, telling lifeguards he had grown weary and was unable to support his companion, who had disappeared. Wollongong lifeguards began a grid search, using a jet ski, before members of the public spotted Mr Lucchini's lifeless form.The lifeguards pulled him from the sea and began CPR on shore. Later, a team of paramedics knelt in the sand as they pumped Mr Lucchini's chest, working for about 30 minutes to establish a weak pulse. He was taken to Wollongong Hospital unconscious and was there until he died about 10.30pm on Saturday.Ambulance district manager Ian Hanna said the tragedy was a reminder of the dangers of swimming in calm-looking water, which could conceal a rip. "Almost 12 months to the day, we had a fatality in the exact same spot," he said.