Tourist stable after husband dies at Bondi

A Norwegian tourist who'd been fighting for her life in hospital after being pulled from the water at Sydney's Bondi beach is now in a stable condition a day after her husband died.

The 69-year-old man and 66-year-old woman were part of a group of five tourists rescued by lifeguards at the southern end of the beach on Thursday afternoon.

The pair got caught in a rip while swimming outside the red and yellow flags, Surf Life Saving NSW told AAP on Friday.

Despite the best efforts of lifeguards and paramedics who performed CPR, the man died on the beach.

The woman was in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at St Vincent's Hospital on Friday morning but her condition has since improved.

The other three people who were rescued, believed to be friends travelling with the pair, did not require treatment.

A woman who witnessed the incident says the sea was so rough other swimmers had to help a lifeguard bring the man in on a surfboard.

"It was so frantic and scary," Deborah Grimberg wrote in a Facebook post.

"She (the woman) was completely grey. They were pumping her chest non-stop for probably 30 minutes.

"I have never been this close to tragedy ... We are still in shock. The lifeguards were heroes."

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Thursday's incident follows the death of a 54-year-old man who drowned near Coffs Harbour on the state's mid north coast on Wednesday night.