A young man has drowned at a notorious surfing spot in Port Stephens.
The alarm was raised at around 2pm when the man, believed to be aged in his early 20s, became caught in a rip at the northern end of the Fingal Bay Spit.
Lifeguards travelled from the surf club to the unpatrolled spot, bringing the man ashore on a rescue board, but he couldn’t be revived.
It’s believed he was swimming with a group at the isolated stretch of beach.
Sea conditions along the Hunter coast have been rough throughout the day.
(VIDEO: No audio)