Dramatic night sea rescue

A helicopter rescue was searching the waters off Umina Beach at 1 20 am on Monday, March 31, while ambulance officers waited in the esplanade car park at the end of Augusta Street Umina.

The insistent throbing of chopper blades cutting the night air alerted me and other residents to the drama playing out on the beach in our small community.

I went with many others to see and possibly photograph real life drama.

The search moved to the eastern end of Umina Beach and I followed ahead of the gathering crowd to take these pictures, which give some indication of just how difficult a rescue is in the darkness and water.

I stopped photographing long enough to assist in pulling the young woman's very cold body from the water, after the rescuer who had been dropped onto the sand at the northern end of the beach had swam out and brought her in to the waters edge.

One of my photos shows the swimmer and the girl in the water under the hovering helicopter.

Police media advised me the young woman had thankfully been stabilised within minutes of being pulled from the water and air lifted to Gosford Hospital at 1 45 am where she is she is recovering from her early morning ordeal.

Edward James Umina