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Man rescued from NSW floodwaters after spending 10 hours clinging to tree

A man has been rescued after clinging to a tree for almost 10 hours to escape floodwaters in southeast NSW.

NSW SES crews successfully retrieved a man from flood waters north of Bega in the the early hours of Tuesday.
NSW SES crews successfully retrieved a man from flood waters north of Bega in the the early hours of Tuesday. Source: SES Bega Valley

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A man has spent the night clinging to a tree after being swept into the swollen Brogo River in southeastern NSW.

SES crews retrieved the man from the river north of Bega on Tuesday morning.

Authorities say the man had been clinging to the tree from 6pm on Monday night before he was spotted about 4am on Tuesday and rescued an hour later.

The SES was told the man had "tried to cross the river on foot" before getting into trouble.

The man - thought to be in his 30s - was transported to South East Regional Hospital for observation after he was rescued.

"Conditions in the Bega, Brogo, Bemboka and Towamba rivers and all surrounding creeks and waterways are dangerous this morning," Bega Valley Shire Council warned on Tuesday.

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"Significant volumes of water and strong flows are still being experienced in some locations."

man rescued
Source: NSW SES Bega Valley

The SES is imploring people not to enter floodwaters either in a car or on foot.

"We are still getting a number of flood rescues from people who are making poor decisions," a spokeswoman told AAP on Tuesday.

"Hopefully we are coming towards the end of the bad weather for the time being."


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