A rock fisherman has died after being knocked by a wave into the sea at a popular beach in Newcastle.
The 70-year-old was walking on rocks at the northern end of Bar Beach when he was swept into the water on Thursday afternoon.
A witness contacted emergency services after the man did not resurface.
Life guards removed the man from the water but he could not be revived.
Large sections of the beach, a popular hangout for locals and visitors to the city, were cordoned off throughout the day as police investigated the death.
Many people die along the NSW coast while rock fishing each year, according to the NSW Coroner.
Between 2010 and 2012, 35 people lost their lives fishing from rocks across NSW.
Since 2010, 17 people have been swept into the water from the notorious rocks around Snapper Point, just south of Newcastle, and died.
The deaths prompted calls for mandatory life jackets for rock fishers and a trial law is underway at high-risk rock fishing spots in Sydney's east.
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