A Figtree man is fighting for his life after he was pulled unconscious from the sea at North Wollongong.Paolo Lucchini, 30, is in a critical condition at Wollongong Hospital after the incident on Thursday afternoon.Beach-goers spotted the man floating 150m from where he had been swimming with a friend.The two men - both aged around 30 - entered an unpatrolled, calm-looking stretch of sea 300m north of Puckey's Creek about 5.30pm.The friend dragged himself out of the water at 5.40pm, telling lifeguards he had grown weary and was unable to support the man, who had disappeared.Wollongong lifeguards began a grid search, using a jet ski, before members of the public spotted the man's body.The lifeguards pulled the man from the sea and began CPR on shore.Later, a team of paramedics knelt in the sand as they pumped the man's chest, working for about 30 minutes to establish a weak pulse.He was transported to Wollongong Hospital unconscious and was in a critical condition last night.Ambulance district manager Ian Hanna said the tragedy was a reminder of the dangers 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. "Hopefully this will be a better result."The ambulance rescue helicopter was called in when it was initially believed a third person may have been in the water.Lachlan Carratt, of North Wollongong, was among the bystanders watching the rescue unfold."It's only two days until Christmas," he said."This could have a devastating effect on a lot of people."