A teenager drowned and two others are lucky to be alive after getting into difficulties while swimming in a popular lagoon.
Emergency services were called to Werri Lagoon, near Gerringong on the New South Wales south coast, at around 5.15pm on Wednesday. Following reports, three teenagers were fighting in the water.
Two managed to get out of the water while one lifeguard ran to the aid of the other and took him to shore without responding.
The third child could not be revived and died at the scene.
‘Two teenagers managed to get to safety and a third was brought to shore by a lifeguard; however, the child could not be resuscitated,” reads a police statement.
“That part of the lagoon is not patrolled.”
A teenager drowned while swimming in Werri Lagoon, near Gerringong, on Wednesday.
Locals reported seeing several emergency vehicles and a rescue helicopter heading to the scene.
Several ambulances and police cars remained in the vicinity Wednesday night.
Distraught relatives were seen speaking to police and comforting each other.
The conditions of the other two teenagers and their ages are currently unknown.
They were evaluated by several paramedic teams at the scene.
The police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Paramedics were unable to revive one of the teenagers.

Locals reported seeing emergency vehicles and a helicopter racing toward the lagoon shortly after 5 p.m.
Last month another person drowned at Werri Beach despite the frantic efforts of a teenage surfing lifeguard to help her.
The 66-year-old woman was pulled unconscious from the surf at Werri Beach, near Gerringong, about 130 kilometers south of Sydney, at 9am on December 21.
The Werri Beach area where the woman was swimming was also not patrolled, but Surf Lifesolving NSW said a 13-year-old club member pulled the woman from the water.
The teenager was not on duty at the time, but was on the beach and tried to save the woman.
Other club members and members of the public treated the woman before paramedics took over, but she could not be revived and she died at the scene.