NSW man drowns in surf at Happy Valley Beach on the Sunshine Coast

A NSW man has drowned after being caught in a rip at a Queensland beach while a woman believed to be his wife was taken to hospital.

The 56-year-old man was pulled in an unresponsive state from the water at Happy Valley in Caloundra — on the Sunshine Coast — about 12.30pm on Friday.

Chief Sunshine Coast lifeguard Trent Robinson told the Sunshine Coast News the man had been swimming with his wife at the unpatrolled beach when they found themselves in trouble.

“They were caught in a rip. She’s made it to shore but he’s had a bit of a struggle,” he said.

“It was quite a nice day and conditions weren’t too bad but, in that area, there’s quite a few rips and the sand’s a bit unstable.”

Paramedics treated the man at the beach, but he could not be revived.

A woman, aged in her 50s, was also treated by paramedics before she was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Queensland Police will prepare a report for the coroner, but said the drowning was non-suspicious.