Surfer rescued in Tweed Heads, NSW beaches closed after tsunami marine warning

People have been urged to remain “very careful” in coastal areas as a tsunami marine warning from the weather bureau remains in place.

A surfer has been rescued and beaches across the NSW North Coast have been closed as a tsunami marine warning remains in place for coastal waters.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a marine tsunami warning on Saturday night and in its latest update at 11.14am on Sunday, its message remained the same.

The warning came after an undersea volcano erupted near Tonga.

The fallout of the eruption, captured on satellite, has impacted Tonga and other parts of the Pacific.

I can't fathom seeing the #tonga Volcanic eruption in real-time from boat. This is insane.pic.twitter.com/1dXRa0lX25

— Doc V (@MJVentrice) January 15, 2022

For NSW, the weather bureau has said evacuations are not necessary.

But people have been cautioned to stay out of coastal waters and avoid the immediate water’s edge.

The bureau has warned of dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents as well as some localised overflow to the foreshore.

Surf Lifesaving Far North Coast duty officer Jimmy Keough said all coastal beaches were closed on Sunday.

Mr Keough said this decision fell under an agreement between his organisation and the NSW State Emergency Service.

A sign warning people to stay out of the water at Shelly Beach in East Ballina. Picture: Liana Boss

He said a surfer was rescued on Sunday offshore from the river bar in Tweed Heads.

Surf lifesavers and other emergency services responded to a Triple 0 call reporting the surfer in distress.

“The surfer has been rescued by surf lifesavers and returned to shore,” Mr Keough said.

#WARNING // With the current Marine Threat Tsunami Warning still active for the NSW coast, beaches are CLOSED to keep you safe.

Surf Life Saving NSW is encouraging all potential beachgoers to stay out of the water until it is safe.

More 👉 https://t.co/wyfZvfjADf

— Surf Life Saving NSW (@slsnsw) January 15, 2022

He said it’s possible the surfer may have been “caught out by some large waves”.

There has meanwhile been a decent well rolling in at the Tweed and Ballina bars.

Mr Keough said volunteers remained on duty and were proactively patrolling despite the beach closures.

“We do have lifesavers on duty at all the beaches but there are no flags up,” he said.

Marine Rescue Ballina deputy unit commander Ken Delany said his team had not responded to anyone in trouble on the water so far.

Mr Delany said there was already a hazardous surf warning in place before the tsunami warning was issued, exacerbating the risk on beaches, bar crossings, with rock fishing and the like.

“What they’re suggesting is everyone be very, very careful in the surf, on the beaches etc,” he said.

“The advice we always give is because it’s a tsunami warning we err on the side of caution so we recommend no one cross (the bar) unless absolutely or if they’re very experienced.”

He said “very big” swells of about 2.5 metres were visible on the Ballina bar on Sunday morning.

He acknowledged the conditions were “absolutely magnificent for experienced surfers”, of which there were plenty in the water.