A woman has died after being pulled unconscious from the water at a popular Sydney beach.
Emergency services were called to Gordons Bay at Clovelly about 1.40pm on Monday, where police were told the woman, 47, had been swimming when she appeared to suffer a medical episode.
Paramedics performed CPR but were unable to revive her.
The call sparked a chaotic scene, with police officers seen scrambling over the rocks to get to the woman, who was laid on an orange stretcher.
A witness told NCA Newswire paramedics spent about 20 minutes working to save the woman.
Beachgoers spending time on the rocks at Gordons Bay watched the woman be pulled up from the water’s edge before CPR was performed on her, according to witness Ruby.
“We didn’t see anything at first, it looked like she was tucked away into a little nook,” Ruby said.
“There was a boat in the water and they were yelling at all of us to go help and get the police notified.”
The witness said that she saw at least 20 police officers and paramedics scrambling across the rocks along the shoreline to reach where the woman had been brought to.
“They brought a stretcher and everything and a whole bunch of defibrillators,” she said.
“There were a bunch of helicopters too but I think it was too difficult for them to lift anyone.”
“There was a commotion in a cave down that way and then the police arrived and they brought someone higher up on the rocks and we saw them doing CPR,” witness Ellie said.
“I think they were doing CPR for like 15 minutes, 20 minutes and then they stopped after that and we were asked to come off the rocks.”
Monday’s incident comes after it was revealed a “staggering” 1200 rescues were completed in NSW by surf lifesavers over the Christmas and New Year period, the highest number recorded in the last five years.
Lifesavers and lifeguards performed 56,470 preventive actions and were involved in 85 emergency incidents, another record in the past five years.
The Gordons Bay drowning marks one of two deaths on NSW Beaches in hours after a surfer died after being pulled unresponsive from the water on the South Coast.
Emergency services rushed to Caves Beach in Jervis Bay following reports of the drowning.
He was brought to shore by surfers and swimmers, where NSW Ambulance paramedics performed CPR; however, despite their best efforts, the 62-year-old could not be revived.
The drownings come just days after an off-duty police officer died while trying to save his teenage son at an NSW Beach on New Year’s Day.
Peter Stone, 45, died at Bogola Beach near Narooma while trying to rescue his son from a rip.
Lifesavers rushed to the unpatrolled beach in an inflatable rescue boat but he could not be revived despite CPR being performed.
At least 30 people have died after drowning in the nation’s waterways so far this summer, 11 of which were in NSW, according to Royal Lifesaving Australia’s fatal drowning toll.
“We are reminding people about the power of the ocean environment and of just how quickly things can change, which is why it is so important to swim at a patrolled location and between the red and yellow flags,” Surf Life Saving NSW director Joel Wiseman said.
“If you are caught in a rip current, the number one priority is to remain calm and conserve your energy. Attract the attention of a lifesaver or lifeguard and wait to be rescued. If you are a competent swimmer, you can escape the rip by swimming parallel to the shore.”
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