December 12, 2021 | Pittwater Ward, Public Safety

Today, a young man was unconscious from surfing in Newport Beach.

This morning (Sunday, December 12) just after 10 am, after receiving a report that a surfer was unconscious from the water, including the New South Wales Surf Lifeguard, the New South Wales Police, and three new South Wales ambulance personnel and emergency services personnel including CareFlight rescue helicopters were called to Newport Beach.

According to reports, the man in his early 20s was surfing with his friends in the big waves at the southern end of Newport Beach when he fell into the water from a surfboard and floated face down to the surface without responding.

His friends immediately placed him on their surfboards and began to signal the coast for help. It is understood that the surfer with this young man is a member of the Newport Surf Life Saving Club.

Surf Life Saving NSW Newport Patrol issued an alarm on the shore, and they were able to launch an inflatable rescue boat (IRB) under difficult conditions. They reached the surfer and were able to load the man into the IRB.

The young man was sent back to the shore, and the lifeguards began to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After several chest compressions, he began to vomit but remained unconscious until the NSW ambulance paramedic and the CareFlight rescue helicopter that landed near the Porter Reserve arrived.

The professional medical team from CareFlight was transported to the beach, where they assisted the New South Wales ambulance intensive care paramedic to treat the young man suspected of inhaling seawater and stabilize him for transport.

Charnan Kurth, New South Wales Ambulance Inspector, said that early intervention saved the young man's life.

"Thanks to the lifeguards and bystanders for their tremendous help today. Our paramedics assisted the medical team to stabilize his body in order to take him to the hospital.

"After inhaling the sea water, his physical condition may decline rapidly. Drowning may occur within a few seconds-we must always pay attention to each other," Officer Cot said.

The young man regained consciousness and was taken to North Beach Hospital by a New South Wales ambulance in a serious but stable condition.

[Children's Dementia Initiative] "A good book-thank you for helping us raise our awareness of this urgent health issue."-Gail Hilton, Childhood Dementia Initiative

[Women’s last appeal] "Thank you very much for sharing our research. Hope it will prompt women to consider drinking less." – Melissa Palermo, New South Wales Department of Health

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