A swimmer in northern New South Wales has become the latest victim in a spate of summer drownings as authorities plead for caution in and around water.

The number of drownings nationwide has reached 25 this summer, and NSW lifesavers have carried out a record 1000 rescues since Christmas.

“We’ve never ever seen this before,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce told AAP of the unprecedented surge.

“We’re urging people to go to a patrolled location, and that’s anywhere with a red and yellow flag flying and where our lifesavers and our lifeguards are on duty.”

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The urgent warning comes as one man died and another was treated in hospital after being pulled from the surf near Byron Bay in the state’s far north on Monday.

Emergency services were called to New Brighton Beach, south of Byron Bay, following reports a man had collapsed after returning to shore and another was pulled unresponsive from the water.

Surf lifesavers and an off-duty nurse pulled the 27-year-old man from the water and performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but he could not be revived.

A 28-year-old man has been taken to Tweed Hospital in a stable condition.

The tragedy comes a day after an off-duty police officer drowned on the NSW south coast after saving the life of a teenage boy at an unpatrolled beach.

Emergency services were called after the 45-year-old became caught in a rip at Bogola, south of Narooma about 1.30pm on New Year’s Day.

A helicopter sent from Moruya spotted the man, who was pulled from the rip by lifesavers.

Paramedics couldn’t revive him and he died at the scene, NSW police said.

“It’s a really, really tragic incident and we have numerous cases each year … where someone goes into the rescue and they, in turn, become the victim and the person they went to rescue successfully escapes the rip they were caught in,” Mr Pearce said.

In Victoria, police divers found the body of a 34-year-old swimmer on Monday after scouring a lake and foreshore on Sunday before suspending their search overnight.

The swimmer appeared to run into difficulty before disappearing underwater at Lake Eildon, north-east of Melbourne about 4.30pm on New Year’s Day.

Meanwhile in remote north-west Tasmania, a missing kayaker body’s was found on New Year’s Day.

Andrew Donohue, 49, was last seen when he left a campsite to go fishing at Perkins Island at 8.30pm on Friday.

Tasmania Police Acting Inspector Stewart Williams described the circumstances of Mr Donohue’s death as a “freak accident”.

A Westpac Rescue Helicopter found his body in the water south of Robbins Island, northwest of his last known location.

Royal Life Saving CEO Justin Scarr said the week between Christmas and January 2 was the deadliest period for drowning deaths.

“The summer holidays are the time when we all like to catch up with friends and family and unwind, but sadly it’s also the peak period for drowning, with too many people not making it home after a day in, on, or around the water,” Mr Scarr said.

“Men particularly need to leave their alcohol consumption until after they’re out of the water”.

“Alcohol was present in more than one-quarter of drowning deaths last summer so we’re asking everyone to stay off the beers until they’re back on dry land,” he said.

-AAP