Fisherman critical after being swept off rocks in Royal National Park

A fisherman remains in a critical condition after he was swept off rocks at a beach south of Sydney this afternoon.

Emergency crews were called to the Royal National Park near Wattamolla Beach after reports a man had been washed off rocks at Providential Point Lookout just before 3pm.

Two rescue choppers conducted a search from the air and the 24-year-old was located in waters near nearby Garie Beach almost an hour later.

He was pulled from the water by Surf Life Saving NSW and taken to St George Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Another man drowned in the area earlier this month when he and a fellow swimmer struggled in waters after jumping from a rock ledge into the Wattamolla Lagoon.

There have been six drownings around Wattamolla Beach over the past five years and 12 drownings or deaths at Royal National Park beaches in general – including at the popular Figure 8 Pools.