NSW ambulance paramedics received reports about 12.25pm of two people "stuck in the blowhole". 

Kiama council’s head lifeguard Andy Mole said lifeguards responded immediately via jetski.

“The operator of the jetski did an amazing job … retrieving the gentleman up onto the sled in pretty challenging conditions off the blowhole, and commenced CPR on the sled,” Mr Mole said.

“[They] then waited for the air ambulance to come across.”

With the assistance of members of the public and council lifeguards they winched the patient up onto the helicopter.

Paramedics continued to treat the man, who suffered a cardiac arrest, however NSW Ambulance paramedic, Acting Inspector, Robert Kembrey confirmed the man was pronounced dead a short time later.

It’s understood the man, along with three others - two men and a woman - was snorkelling in and around the blowhole. All four needed to be rescued. The man who died is believed to have been visiting the area from Sydney.

There are conflicting reports as to the whether he is aged 26 or 33 years.

Meantime, emergency services are urging swimmers to obey the directions of authorities and stick to waterways they are familiar with. 

"I'm not exactly sure what difficulties they (the snorkellers) ran into out there," Insp Kembrey said. 

"It's really dangerous to swim in some of these rocky areas where the water's unpredictable." 

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