Fisherman swept off NSW rocks drowns

A fisherman has drowned after being swept off the rocks on the NSW south coast.

The man was fishing at Merry Beach in Kioloa when a wave knocked him into the ocean on Saturday morning.

The Lifesaver rescue helicopter was called to the area and found the man face down in the water.

He was pulled from the water by the helicopter crew, who performed CPR, but the man was declared dead by paramedics on landing.

Surf Life Saving spokesman Adam Weir said the death was "sad and disappointing".

"Our hearts go out to this man's family and it's frustrating that despite our efforts to warn people of the dangers of rock fishing during hazardous surf conditions, this has occurred," Mr Weir said.

"We would urge people considering activities along the coast, particularly rock fishing, to take safety precautions or give it a miss altogether this weekend."

A hazardous surf warning for the entire NSW coastline has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for Saturday and Sunday.

The man has not yet been formally identified.