Surf lifesavers, two nurses and an off-duty doctor all rushed to help a man brought ashore at Pambula Beach, who was not breathing.
The incident occurred on Saturday, January 9 at about 12.30pm.
The Victorian man, aged 52, had been surfing about 400 metres north of the Pambula Surf Life Saving Club patrol area, close to the end of the caravan park at Pambula Beach when he disappeared from sight.
Fortunately his sister had been watching him and went into the water when she could not longer see him.
The man was brought ashore just at the same time that the surf lifesavers were running the 4WD along the beach.
The man was not conscious and was not breathing.
Patrol captain Frank Davey had just organised for the 4WD to go along the beach and outside of the normal patrol area when the man’s sister was pulling him out of the surf.
Lifesavers Dave Prowse, Hayley Ashcroft and Nick Tondering were the first respondents, and were backed up by Marcia Vitouchova, patrol captain Frank Davey and Karen Griffiths.
The lifesavers commenced CPR and were assisted by two nurses from Melbourne who were on the beach at the time and work in ICU.
They defibrillated the man who then started breathing.
The Snowy Hydro SouthCare helicopter had been tasked to the beach but was not required and the man was taken to Bega hospital.
Far South Coast duty officer, Don Hay said it was fortunate that the man had a family member watching him and that she was able to go into the water to investigate.
A spokeswoman for the Southern NSW Local Health District said that the man had been admitted to Bega hospital and was in a stable condition.
