Man dies at Ocean Beach

A man has died after being pulled unconscious from the water at Ocean Beach, Umina, on Sunday, October 22.

The 45-year-old was participating in a weekly social swim when he got into difficulty at around 8:30am, according to Ocean Beach Director of Lifesaving, Ms Katie Dixon.

After the man was pulled unconscious from the water, volunteer surf lifesavers treated the patient who was not breathing.

Club members were present in the vicinity as they were preparing for their morning patrol so CPR treatment was able to commence within minutes, she said.

The State Operations Centre was also advised of the incident and alerted police and paramedics who were also attended.

Paramedics took over treatment and the man was transported to hospital but he was unable to be revived.

Ms Dixon said the lifesavers involved did a fantastic job under extremely difficult circumstances.

"This medical situation was an extremely challenging incident for our members who never gave up and reacted exactly the way their training prepared them to.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome we wanted but the paramedics and staff at the hospital also praised the efforts of the lifesavers involved and they can take pride in the fact that their professionalism and dedication meant he was at least given a chance," she said.

The Ocean Beach members involved will participate in a critical incident debrief as part of the standard operating procedures following a serious incident.

Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are continuing with a report to be prepared for the coroner.

SOURCE:

Media release, 22 Oct 2017

Katie Dixon, SLS NSW