A reveler has been airlifted to hospital after being seriously injured when he tried to jump into an ocean pool on a busy Aussie beach on Christmas Day.
Police were told the man, in his 20s, slipped while jumping from a cliff at Bronte Pool in Sydney’s east and hit his head on concrete about 4.30pm on Wednesday.
Emergency services arrived at the scene and treated the man for head injuries before airlifting him to St Vincent’s Hospital.
A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia officers were “speaking to a number of people at the scene”.
The cliff is a popular jumping spot for beachgoers, despite the council installing barbed wire and spike posts to hinder the dangerous act.
Footage from the scene showed the pool and nearby seating area had to be evacuated while the man was treated.
Officers also attended a nearby bus stop at 4.35pm following reports that a man had been attacked.
Paramedics treated a man, who was reportedly unconscious, while police spoke to people at the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A man in his 20s was flown to hospital in a helicopter after hitting his head while trying to jump into an ocean pool on Christmas Day (photo, emergency services on scene)
Emergency services have remained near Bronte Beach at the request of City of Waverley Council in response to an annual ‘orphan Christmas’.
Thousands of people turned out to Bronte Park on Christmas Day to celebrate the holiday, despite warnings of increased patrols by park rangers and police.
Last year, local residents were outraged after plastic bottles, broken glass, food scraps, clothing and human waste were left scattered across the park after as many as 10,000 people attended.
A local resident told Daily Mail Australia they should ‘stay away from Bronte at Christmas’ to avoid the busy beach and surrounding parks.
Although the crowds were well behaved, concerns about the rubbish left behind led to an earlier warning from the City of Waverley Council to people planning to spend the day authorities would be present at Bronte Park and the beach.
Their concerns about the party grew as people arrived on Christmas Day on foot, by car and on buses to compete for limited space on the beach.
But Spicer said he is confident the steps the council has taken “will make a big difference this year.”
He added that Bronte Park will receive ‘crowd control paths and temporary toilets’ under the council’s Summer Safe programme.
Witnesses told police the man jumped into Bronte Pool (pictured) from a cliff and a popular diving spot cordoned off by the council with barbed wire and spike posts.
Waverley Council said it will not tolerate any bad behavior and has taken ‘a number of important proactive measures to ensure our community can relax and enjoy the summer’.
“The safe enjoyment of our public and recreational spaces is our first priority,” a spokesperson said.
“We encourage everyone to enjoy our beaches responsibly and safely so that they remain a welcoming place for all.”
NSW Police said officers are conducting patrols at Bronte, Bondi and Tamarama beaches ‘due to expected large numbers of people over the holiday period’.
Police said they were aware of a party planned for Christmas Day in Bronte and had been working with organisers.
“There will be officers from the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command, assisted by specialist police, who will be tasked with patrolling the area to ensure the safety of visitors and control crowd numbers,” said a spokesperson.
‘People are reminded to check and adhere to designated alcohol bans and/or alcohol-free zones in the area. Alcohol and water don’t go together.’
Beachgoers were also warned not to swim or operate boats if drunk and said they would have a ‘significant presence’ on the roads and in the water over the next day.