Surfboarder rescues swimmer from drowning in rip

Samantha Lock |

Witnesses say the struggling swimmer was rescued and taken into shore by a man on a surfboard.
Witnesses say the struggling swimmer was rescued and taken into shore by a man on a surfboard.

A surfer has rescued a man from drowning after he became caught in a rip on a Queensland beach. 

The swimmer, in his twenties, was camping with friends at a Great Sandy National Park beach when he entered the water late on Friday afternoon.

Witnesses said they saw the man in extreme difficulty and sinking under the surface a number of times in the popular tourist area.

He was pulled from the water and taken to shore by a man on a surfboard, emergency services said.

A Sunshine Coast RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter was called just before 5.30pm, tasked by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

The swimmer, who was conscious and able to walk, was assessed by the RACQ LifeFlight Rescue critical care doctor.

He was then airlifted to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition for further medical treatment. His current condition is unknown.

AMSA said it was alerted to the incident when a person on the beach set off a Satellite Emergency Notification Device (SEND), indicating the exact location of the incident, which happened in an area with limited mobile phone reception.

AAP