Perilous Sydney cliffside rescue after teen swept into sea

A teenage boy has been rescued from jagged rocks during a three-hour operation after he was swept into turbulent waters in Sydney’s north.

Video of the incident showed rescuers abseiling down a towering cliff to rescue the 14-year-old boy near Turimetta Beach Headland at Warriewood.

Emergency services were called at 1.20pm after the boy, who was on the rocks near the Warriewood blowhole, was sucked into the water by a large swell, according to an emergency services call. For a few terrifying minutes, rescuers lost sight of him as he was submerged in the coastal cave.

He was then swept up onto nearby rocks. A paramedic was dropped from an ambulance helicopter to the boy, where he was found conscious and in a stable condition.

Emergency services were seen placing a large bandage on the boy’s head.

Just after 3.30 pm, rescuers placed the boy on a stretcher, which had been carried down by rope. It was a race against the clock as the tide came in.

The teen was then transported to the edge of the rock face and slowly winched to the top, accompanied by two rescuers, just before 4pm.

NSW Ambulance paramedic Inspector Andrew Wood told Nine News there were multiple crews involved in the rescue, including intensive care and special operations paramedics.

“This is quite a complex operation, and it’s obviously very dangerous, so a lot of care and thought goes into this. Lots of safety measures are undertaken to make sure everyone comes out of this uninjured,” he said.

Wood said the boy had a laceration on his leg and a potential fracture, alongside cuts all over his body and a potential minor head injury.

He has been transported to the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick.

Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said there was a “heavy rescue presence” through responses from Narrabeen, Dee Why and Eastwood stations. Water police also responded, with a rescuer captured on video swimming through the turbulent water to a nearby jet ski.

The area is popular for cliff jumping and surfers who launch themselves off the rock face into the water.

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CLARIFICATION

Fire and Rescue NSW previously reported the boy was aged 18.