KEY POINTS
- NSW Police confirmed the man who died was an off-duty officer.
- Emergency services were called after the 45-year-old became caught in a riptide at Bogola Beach.
- The officer was pulled from the rip by lifesavers, but paramedics couldn't revive him, and he died at the scene.
An off-duty police officer has drowned in a rip after saving his teenage son at an unpatrolled beach on the NSW south coast.
Emergency services were called after the 45-year-old became caught in a rip at Bogola Beach, south of Narooma, at about 1.30 pm on New Year's Day.
When lifesavers arrived at the scene, onlookers told them the man went into the ocean to rescue the 14-year-old, but after saving the teen, he disappeared underwater.
A helicopter sent from Moruya spotted the man who was pulled from the rip by lifesavers, but paramedics couldn't revive him and he died at the scene.
NSW Police confirmed the man who died was an off-duty officer, and local police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Acting Inspector Paul Hoyer said the officer's death was a tragedy that "that will cut through to his family, friends and workmates".
"It's devastating at this time of the year when obviously with the recency of the two deaths in Queensland - it just brings home how dangerous policing is," he told reporters on Monday.
"From what I understand, he was able to push his son out of the rip. He was then taken out to sea further in the rip and that obviously will form part of our investigation as we prepare a brief."
Acting Inspector Hoyer reiterated police and surf lifesavers' advice to swim between the flags at a patrolled beach.
NSW savers rescue 1,000, drownings mount
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce said they had numerous cases each year.
"It's a really, really tragic incident, and we have numerous cases each year ... where someone goes into the rescue and they, in turn, become the victim and the person they went to rescue successfully escapes the rip they were caught in," Mr Pearce told AAP.
With warm temperatures driving thousands of people to the state's beaches this summer, NSW lifesavers have already carried out more than 1000 rescues since Christmas, which is a record.
"We've never ever seen this before," Mr Pearce said.
"The primary message today, particularly because it's such a bumper day for the beach is: we're urging people to go to a patrolled location, and that's anywhere with a red and yellow flag flying and where our lifesavers, and our lifeguards, are on duty."
Deadliest during Christmas and New Year
Royal Life Saving CEO Justin Scarr warned the week between Christmas and 2 January was the deadliest period for drowning deaths.
"The summer holidays are the time when we all like to catch up with friends and family and unwind, but sadly it's also the peak period for drowning, with too many people not making it home after a day in, on, or around the water," Mr Scarr said.
"Men particularly need to leave their alcohol consumption until after they're out of the water".
"Alcohol was present in more than a quarter of drowning deaths last summer, so we're asking everyone to stay off the beers until they're back on dry land," he said.
