A rock fisher has died after being swept off the rocks at Windang Island on Sunday afternoon.
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About 12.50pm, police and emergency services were called to Windang Island following reports of a man in distress in the water.
Officers from Marine Area Command and Lake Illawarra Police District responded.
Police were told the man, who was not wearing a lifejacket, had been fishing on the rocks before being swept into the water.
While police and NSW Surf Life Savers conducted an extensive search on the water, Toll rescue helicopter arrived to conduct a search for the man from the air.
Around a half hour after he was washed off, the body of a 21-year-old man was located before being winched from the water by the Toll Ambulance helicopter due to strong current and rock ledges making it difficult for water-based rescuers to reach him.
The helicopter then winched him onto a nearby Water Police launch.
During the fast trip back to the shore, volunteer life savers continued CPR on the man, but he could not be revived.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
The tragedy was one of a number of serious incidents at the region's beaches and waterways over the weekend, as people took advantage of the warm weather.
On New Year's Day the body of a 15-year-old boy was discovered in the Shoalhaven River after he and a friend had gone swimming at Burrier, west of Nowra.
The pair attempted to get back to shore, before one of the boys disappeared below the water and emergency services were alerted as members of the public commenced a search.
Just before 1.30pm on Saturday, the teen's body was recovered after being located by divers in the river.
Also at Windang, on Saturday, a seven-year-old girl was was pulled from the surf where she was found face down at Windang.
She was placed on oxygen and soon regained consciousness and was then transported to Wollongong Hospital.
On Saturday at Wombarra a 14-year-old boy took on water while in a rock pool. Life savers administered first aid before an ambulance arrived to take him to Wollongong Hospital.
Late on Saturday, a man had a medical episode while at Corrimal beach.
There were also water rescues of swimmers in trouble at Austinmer and Coledale on Sunday.
At Woonona Beach warning signs were put out after 22 people were stung by blue bottles on Sunday afternoon.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
