UPDATE: Canberra rock fisherman flown to hospital following South Coast rescue

NOON: A rock fisherman has been airlifted to Canberra Hospital after being washed off rocks at Garden Bay, south of Batemans Bay.

The 67-year-old Canberra man was visiting the region for the Easter holidays when he got into trouble on Thursday, 14 April.

“Surf Life Saving was notified around 8:30 am that a fisherman was washed off the rocks into the water, but luckily he was still conscious and able to get back up on the rocks,” Far South Coast Surf Life Saving director Cheryl McCarthy said.

Surf Life Saving team members arrived via an inflatable boat to provide assistance.

“Our team swam in with medical equipment, and we were able to provide oxygen and patch up his wounds,” Ms McCarthy said.

The man was treated for 90 minutes before being winched into a Toll helicopter.

He was not wearing a life jacket.

“He is very, very fortunate he was able to call for help,” Ms McCarthy said.

“Without that ability, it can take us a very long time to find you.”

Far South Coast Surf Life Saving duty officer Andrew Edmunds was on the scene and also said the man was extremely lucky.

“You had the combination of inaccessibility, rocks and serious injuries,” he said.

“He’s fortunate he was able to call 000, and wasn’t unconscious or he could have slipped under the water.”

All recreational water users are being urged to take care during the long weekend, as surf conditions on the coast can be unpredictable.

“The danger with rock fishing is obviously the waves can come in unexpectedly, which is what it looks like happened here,” Ms McCarthy said.

“You need to be very careful.”

Surf Life Saving advised rock fishermen should wear a life jacket and assess weather conditions throughout the day.

9am: Numerous emergency services are currently on scene to rescue a man, believed to have been washed off rocks at Garden Bay, south of Batemans Bay.

NSW Ambulance said a man, believed to be in his 30s to 40s, has suffered a puncture wound to his “flank”, and is also reporting pain in his pelvis.

A helicopter is currently on scene, with paramedics assessing how to extract the man from the Malua Bay beach.

Police, Fire and Rescue and SES crews are also on site.

The rescue comes as the Eurobodalla begins to swell with holiday-makers ahead of the Easter long weekend. Emergency services have already issued warnings about boating and road safety in the wake of extensive rain that has badly damaged road pavement and washed debris into the waterways.