The incident was one of several emergencies on crowded Illawarra beaches on Saturday.

With temperatures tipped to peak at 40 in some parts of the region today, lifesavers are urging swimmers to stick to patrolled areas. 

The man went into the water at Bellambi with members of his family about 7pm, before getting into difficulty.

Read more: ‘His face was blue’ – Bulli drowning survivor critical 

A resident told the Mercury he was caught unaware by the power of the sea. 

"He was actually knee deep, so it wasn't an intentional thing, the wave just took him out," she said.

Residents say a passer-by ran into the water to pull the man ashore. 

The Mercury understands a lifesaver also helped to retrieve him, using a jet ski. 

The man was vomiting and coughing up water when brought ashore. 

A rescue chopper came to his aid, landing nearby, but was ultimately not required. 

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He was taken by road ambulance to Wollongong Hospital in a stable condition. 

Surf Lifesaving Illawarra duty officer Anthony Turner said the incident showed the importance of swimming at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags. 

"We are urging the public to make the effort to travel to one of the 17 patrolled beaches between Stanwell Park in the north, and Windang in the south, that are patrolled by volunteer lifesavers." 

Lifesavers are calling on beachgoers to download the Beachsafe app, which provides information on beach open times, surf safety, rip currents and weather conditions."