A report will be prepared for the Coroner following the drowning of a 49-year-old Helensburgh man at a Minnamurra beach.
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Emergency services were called to the northern end of Mystics Beach, in Killalea State Park, about 12.10pm on Tuesday following a report of a drowning.
According to police the man was at Mystics Beach Minnamurra with his family when he appeared to get into trouble in the water.
A police spokesman said the man felt unwell and tried to make his way back to the shore.
A family member assisted him from the water before he collapsed and stopped breathing.
Family members commenced CPR which was continued by police and Ambulance Paramedics, however the man could not be revived.
Ambulance NSW Illawarra duty operations manager Inspector Norm Rees said bystanders began CPR, which lifesavers continued until paramedics arrived.
Paramedics were able to get to the man quickly, but extensive efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Insp Rees said the man may have overexerted himself trying to get to the shore and had a heart attack.
‘‘Unfortunately he failed to respond to treatment at the scene and he was pronounced deceased at 1.45pm,’’ Insp Rees said.
The area where the incident occurred is unpatrolled, but lifeguard supervisor with Kiama Municipal Council Andy Mole said crews responded to the emergency.
‘‘We had the call come through, so we dispatched a jet ski ... the reports we had were the man may still have been in the water,’’ he said.
Mr Mole stressed people should only swim in a supervised environment.
‘‘We can’t get the message across enough; you should be swimming at patrolled beaches,’’ he said.
‘‘That’s a national park beach, so it’s not patrolled and I think it’s just a gentle reminder people should be swimming where the flags are.’’
Initial police investigations suggest there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident.
Officers from Lake Illawarra Local Area Command will prepare a report for the Coroner.