A 27-year-old man has drowned at a beach south of Sydney after being pulled unconscious from the water on Christmas Day.
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Emergency services were called to Wattamolla lagoon at the Royal National Park, near Sutherland, about 6.45pm on Sunday.
It is understood the man was at the beach with friends when he disappeared under the water.
Police said swimmers began to search for the man, finding him and pulling him back to shore. They then performed CPR and called triple zero.
Faisal Khan, from Parramatta, was at the lagoon with his family to have a picnic dinner. He said around 15 minutes after he arrived, he heard shouts for help.
"We were just unpacking our stuff and preparing to have dinner," Mr Khan told Fairfax Media.
"This guy jumped over into the water and then one girl started shouting 'he's not coming up, he's not coming up'."
A large number of emergency service personnel were sent to the scene, including firefighters, police, NSW Ambulance paramedics, a helicopter and doctors.
Despite their best efforts, the man died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
The #FRNSW P80 & LT80 crew were called to our second call for the day, to assist #ambulance at #Wattamolla, RP33 & Duty Commander attended. pic.twitter.com/Q8RlBldV1W— FRNSW 80 Station (@FRNSW080Station) December 25, 2016
Police will investigate his death and prepare a brief for the Coroner.
As night fell at Wattamolla, firefighters carried the man's body from the lagoon on a stretcher. Police spoke to witnesses, who appeared shaken and were wrapped in towels.
Hundreds of people had packed the swimming spot earlier in the day, posting photos and videos on social media as they jumped from rocks and laughed with friends and family.
All car parks were full from around 10.30am until just before 4pm.
NSW Parks and Wildlife had issued a "moderate risk" warning for another popular swimming spot, the Figure 8 Pools, advising visitors it would be "unsafe to visit".
"Waves are likely to wash across the rock platform," a warning on its website said. "It's difficult to see the pools in these conditions."
Large numbers of people were expected to head to the Royal National Park again on Monday, prompting police to warn holidaymakers to exercise caution.
"Police are urging people to remain vigilant around waterways, beaches and swimming pools during the festive season," police said in a statement.
