Australia: Hundreds Watch Man Drown on Surf Webcam

The last moments of a swimmer who got into difficulties in the sea and drowned have been seen by hundreds of internet users on a live webcam.

The unnamed victim, who was 30, was found face down on Kirra beach on Australia's Gold Coast where he had been with his two children.

The man was given CPR until paramedics arrived and took him to Tweed Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A spokesman for the Northern NSW local health district told AAP: "We can confirm a man who was pulled out of the water at Kirra beach died in hospital."

The man's death was viewed live by hundreds of people using the coastalwatch.com surf camera website.

Mandy and Andrew de Stefano were at the scene and called emergency services after seeing him floating in the sea.

Ms de Stefano told ABC News: "We turned him over and pulled him out and it was obvious he was in a bit of trouble. He was quite discoloured around the mouth and lifeless.

"We feel sorry for the family because his little kids were there and saw it."

She praised the efforts of the paramedics to revive him. "They did a real good job. They worked on him for a long time and they couldn't have done any more," she said.

Warren Young, Gold Coast chief lifeguard, said the man was very close to the shore when he was found. "He was 35 metres north of the flags, about three metres offshore. He was almost on the sand," he said.

Young said witnesses on the beach thought he was swimming but he was actually unconscious in the water.