• Man has drowned 200km south of Sydney
• This is the second drowning in NSW of 2026
• READ MORE: Senior executive of major company drowns in Bali 

By ZAK WHEELER, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 09:15 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 09:15 GMT, 2 January 2026

The horror start to 2026 on the water has continued after another Aussie drowned after being pulled into the ocean by strong currents.

The man, believed to be in his 50s, was pulled from Lobster Bay in the Beecroft Peninsula, 200km south of Sydney, about 12.40pm on Friday.

Emergency services rushed to the area after receiving reports of a concern for welfare.

NSW Police arrived first where they found the man unconscious along the shore after bystanders pulled him from the water. 

Paramedics attempted to treat the man but he was ultimately declared dead at the scene.

Officers have since declared a crime scene while the circumstances surrounding the man's death are investigated. 

A report will be prepared for the coroner. 

It's the second drowning along the state's coast this year after a 45-year-old woman was pulled from the water on January 1.

A man, believed to be aged in his 50s, has become the second drowning in NSW of 2026

Acting Inspector Teneille Keith said bad weather can make the ocean deadly, even for experienced divers. 

'While we have welcomed a beautiful summer, it is also the peak season of drowning incidents," Acting Inspector Keith said.

'Please stay alert to the weather conditions and decide whether you should go into the water.

'Severe weather conditions are a big challenge even to experienced divers.'  

Lobster Bay is a popular location for swimming and snorkelling but can only be accessed by foot.

On Thursday, emergency services at Dunbogan Beach, 38km south of Port Macquarie, responded and found an unconscious woman at about 2.55pm.

NSW Ambulance paramedics and police attempted CPR but the woman, 45, could not be revived. 

Police are now investigating the circumstances around her death as well, while a report is being prepared for the coroner. 

On New Year's Day a different woman also drowned after she was pulled into the ocean at Dunbogan Beach near Port Macquarie

Late in 2024, a private school student also vanished during an early morning swim along the Mid North Coast during Schoolies week.

Astin Gerstl, 18, was last seen struggling to swim after he became caught in a rip at Little Bay Beach at 4.30pm on November 30.

His friends and locals tried their best to rescue the teenager but he disappeared beneath the water before they could reach him.

The search for Astin was then suspended the following day due to deteriorating offshore conditions, which forced authorities back to land. 

Five days later NSW Police confirmed that human remains had been located by a member of the public at the same beach. 

Astin's disappearance followed similar tragedies on the Mid North Coast within a week after a 59-year-old man drowned near Crescent Head days earlier.