A Sydney man has died after being caught in a rip at a popular central coast beach.
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Police said the 26 year-old man, from Asquith, was swimming at an unpatrolled area of Avoca Beach just after 1pm on Monday.
The man was swimming with a group of friends at a section of the beach mid-way between Avoca and North Avoca when he got caught in a "massive rip", an off-duty lifeguard told The Central Coast Advocate.
He said a lifeguard at North Avoca spotted the distressed man through binoculars and sped to the location on a quad bike.
He paddled out and brought the unconscious man back to shore on his board.
It's believed two members of the public had been keeping the man afloat for about five minutes before the lifeguard reached them.
Paramedics and surf lifesavers tried to resuscitate him on shore but he was pronounced dead soon after arriving at Gosford Hospital.
A post-mortem examination will determine how the man died and police will prepare a report for the coroner.
