Update 11.30am:
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According to the NSW SES Wollongong City Unit, NSW SES Wollongong and Dapto Units provided swift-water rescue qualified and land based search personnel to support Illawarra Police Rescue Squad with an evidence search along the Port Kembla foreshore on Saturday morning.
"NSW SES has concluded their involvement in the operation and wishes to thank the local community members who we spoke with for their concern and cooperation," they said in a statement.
"We extend our condolences to the friends and family of the persons involved."
Update 9.20am:
NSW Ambulance Illawarra Inspector Norm Rees said as of just after 9.10am, police had completed their search and Ambulance had cleared their crews.
Surf lifesavers are still searching the area for personal items.
"(Incidents like this) are very traumatic for all of the people involved, and we just put safety checks in on all of our staff to make sure they're all managed and don't take home the baggage from the day's work," he said.
Insp Rees said air ambulances winched two of the bodies from the water.
The other body was recovered by Marine Area Command.
Earlier:
Police will continue to conduct sweeps of the foreshore around Port Kembla, after three men died after being swept into the sea on Friday night.
A major emergency response began about 10pm on Friday, responding to reports several people had been washed off rocks into the sea at Port Kembla.
Police were told by witnesses a group of men were standing on rocks near Hill 60 when a large wave hit them, knocking them into the surf.
Officers attached to Lake Illawarra Police District and Marine Area Command began searching for the men, assisted by NSW Ambulance, rescue helicopters and local lifeguards.
The bodies of three men were recovered from the water a short time later.
While they are yet to be formally identified, police believe two of the men, aged in their forties, are from Green Valley, while a third man is believed to be aged 69 from Campsie.
The two men from Green Valley are members of the same family, but were not known to the 69-year-old.
"They are total strangers, they all came to the same location to enjoy the fishing," Lake Illawarra Police Acting Superintendent Gordon Dunlop said on Saturday morning.
"The people have not been identified officially as of yet.
"We are speaking with the families, and we share their grief."
Post-mortem examinations will be conducted this week.
Two other people were able to make it ashore, and were treated for minor injuries by NSW Ambulance.
The search continues on Saturday morning for property and belongings of those involved.
However, police do not believe there are any other victims.
"We do not believe there are any other persons within the water, no persons have been identified as missing, and no person has come forward to say they are missing any loved ones," Acting Superintendent Dunlop said.
As inquiries continue, police are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact Lake Illawarra police or Crime Stoppers.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Acting Superintendent Dunlop said although the 69-year-old was wearing a lifejacket, winds in the area were intense, with a weather warning from the Bureau of Meteorology in place.
When asked about the weather conditions on Friday night, Acting Superintendent Dunlop said he believed a swell was there, and "every now and then a larger wave would hit the platform, and on this occasion one of those waves was extremely large and took a number of people out".
"Just a timely warning to everybody, the location that people do fish in, on these outcrops where it's very close to the sea and on a point or a headland, unfortunately the weather does change sometimes, and the waves can become quite dangerous for those on the surface of the rocks," he said.
Acting Superintendent Dunlop said he didn't know the experience levels of the rock fishers affected.
Wollongong City Council have also issued a statement regarding the incident.
"Wollongong City Council is aware of a tragic incident on the rock shelf and platform below Hill 60, Port Kembla," the statement said.
"Following these tragic deaths, we want to remind all community members to stay safe around water. For more information about staying when rock fishing, visit council's website.
"In the light of it being a hot weekend and public holiday on Tuesday, we know that there will be an increase in people at our beaches.
"We ask everyone to do the right thing when in the water by swimming between the red and yellow flags. If there's no flag, that means no swim."
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