Man in critical condition after surf incident off Mooloolaba Esplanade

A man aged in his 60s remains in a critical condition after a morning swim at Mooloolaba went horribly wrong, prompting fresh warnings from lifeguards.

A man is fighting for his life after sustaining spinal injuries in the surf off a Sunshine Coast beach. Picture: John McCutcheon

A man is still fighting for his life after suffering spinal injuries while swimming in the surf at a popular Sunshine Coast beach.

The man, in his 60s, was swimming at the Mooloolaba Esplanade when he sustained significant spinal injuries about 10.50am on July 27.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and paramedics transferred the man, in a critical condition, to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

This morning, July 28, a hospital spokeswoman said the swimmer remained in a critical condition in the hospital.

Sunshine Coast chief lifeguard Anthony King said the man was swimming or body surfing at the patrolled beach before he was possibly dumped by a wave.

He said lifeguards started CPR on the man once they rescued him from the water.

Sunshine Coast chief lifeguard Anthony King. File picture

“Hopefully the gentleman makes a full recovery but if he was swimming in an unpatrolled location he wouldn’t have got the help he required,” Mr King said.

The chief lifeguard said it was important to always swim between the yellow and red flags.

It comes after multiple tragic deaths on Sunshine Coast beaches this year.

A man died after collapsing on the sand at Buddina on the Sunshine Coast in January and 21-year-old man Jye Mattern went missing at Teewah, north of Noosa, on January 21.

The mother of Lucinda McGrath, 27, revealed her heartache following her daughter’s death at Bulcock Beach in Caloundra on January 22 and a French backpacker died after she was pulled from unpatrolled surf near Stumers Creek, at Coolum Beach, on January 5.

A woman’s body was found at Peregian Beach in March.