A photographer has a pair of Kiama lifeguards to thank for rescuing him after he was washed off rocks at Kendalls Beach on Tuesday.
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Lifeguards, Charlotte and Lizzy, were monitoring the closed beach, when at midday they noticed someone bobbing around in the water close to the southern headland.
READ MORE: Dangerous surf shuts Illawarra beaches
“A photographer out on the cliff ledge was washed off the rocks when he was hit by a rogue wave,” supervising lifeguard Andy Mole said.
“One of the girls alerted lifeguards at Surf Beach, before paddling out on a rescue board to get the patient and bring him into the beach,” supervising lifeguard Andy Mole said.
“The girls administered first-aid until ambulance officers got there and transported him to Shellharbour Hospital.
“He had multiple abrasions – so many I ran out of bandages in my first aid kit.”
Mr Mole lauded the extraordinary efforts of the two lifeguards.
“There was a six-foot shore break, it’s a big effort in very large seas,” he said.
The photographer, estimated to be in his mid-twenties, was taking shots of the surf when the wave hit, which unfortunately swept about $7,000 worth of camera equipment also.
It is the second joint emergency service rescue in as many days for Kiama Council lifeguards, after two men were rescued off Bombo Beach when their yacht overturned in large swell on Sunday.
Beaches across the Kiama Municipality remain closed due to dangerous surf conditions lingering along the region’s coastline.