Young man airlifted to hospital after headfirst dive from jetty near Bawley Beach

In short: 

Five bystanders rushed to rescue a young man who suffered suspected spinal injuries after jumping off a jetty at Bawley Beach. 

Rescuer Sean Chivers was shocked when holiday-makers continued to jump from The Gantry jetty shortly after emergency services left. 

Sean Chivers was shocked to find himself involved in the urgent rescue of a young man who suffered suspected spinal injuries after jumping off a jetty at a popular beach on the NSW South Coast. 

But he said he was even more shocked to see people jumping off the same jetty shortly afterwards. 

Mr Chivers was among five bystanders, including an off-duty nurse, who pulled a swimmer with a suspected spinal injury to shore on Monday afternoon. 

The 55-year-old had returned to his car to offload his sailing gear when he saw a man, believed to be in his 20s, dive headfirst off The Gantry jetty near Bawley Beach, about 40 kilometres north of Batemans Bay.

"It looked weird and awkward," Mr Chivers said. 

"It looked wrong … he didn't dive out, he dove straight down." 

About 30 seconds later, Mr Chivers noticed the man's body "floating like a bit of wood" and without hesitation, ran back down to the water. 

"His sister and friend were trying to pull him in," he said. 

The injured swimmer, believed to be visiting the area, was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital where he remains in a stable condition. 

Mr Chivers said when he saw others jumping off the jetty, he asked a friend to call police to the beach to warn them of the danger. 

"About 20 minutes after the incident, I watched another three kids jump off the same jetty," he said. 

Mr Chivers said he had been visiting The Gantry for more than 40 years, and it was one of the area's most popular jump spots. 

But, he said, the water depth below the jetty varied from one to six metres, depending on the tide. 

He said a sandbank had built up in recent months, creating an even bigger risk at the popular spot. 

"I know three people who have suffered neck injuries from The Gantry," he said.

Source: ABC Illawarra