Struggling swimmer saved by friends, winched off beach near Byron Bay
A man had to be winched to safety in a dramatic beach rescue after he got caught in a dangerous rip on a remote Northern NSW beach.
Beaches & Fishing
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A MAN is lucky to be alive after he got caught in a rip off a remote North Coast beach yesterday.
The 36-year-old man was swimming with friends at Whites Beach, Broken Head, when he got caught in a strong current and then became stranded on a rock.
According to authorities, the man was rescued by his friends and dragged onto the beach.
The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter was called to the scene and a full medical team was winched onto the beach to treat the man, who had suffered multiple cuts and bruises.
The man was then winched off the beach and flown to Lismore Base hospital in a stable condition.
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Police and paramedics were called to the popular remote beach just after 3pm Sunday following reports a swimmer was in distress.
An Ambulance Media spokesman said the person was reportedly sucked into a rip and is “currently trapped on a rock”.
Whites Beach, considered a stunning remote destination on calm days, can also be hammered by swells and rips and is surrounded by hazardous rocks at each end.
The spokesman said the patient had possibly consumed a lot of water, and extensive cuts and bruises from the rocks, but was breathing.