Swimmer missing off NSW beach

A search has been launched for a 21-year-old man believed to have disappeared while swimming in Wollongong.

Emergency services were alerted after people saw a man in distress off North Wollongong Beach on Wednesday evening.

The search continued until 10pm, and is expected to resume at first light on Thursday.

Police believe the man is a 21-year-old from Queanbeyan, and say he was last seen wearing a pair of swimming shorts and a turban.