Rescue helicopters winch man to safety after receiving calls for help from Apple Watch

A man has been caught up in a dramatic rescue after using his smartwatch to call for help when he was swept out to sea at the weekend.

The man was swimming in waters off Byron Bay when he was caught in a rip and unable to swim back in.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Man uses smartwatch to call for help after being swept out to sea.

He was left with few options when he called triple-0 using his Apple Watch to alert emergency services to his dire situation.

Dispatchers contacted Surf Life Saving NSW which in turn requested assistance from a Gold Coast-based Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter.

The man was found approximately 1km off Broken Head at about 10am on Saturday.

He was winched to safety and flown to the beach to a waiting ambulance, where he was treated by paramedics.

The man is not believed to have sustained any serious injuries.

The Westpac rescue team shared the news online, saying “a big well done” to the team who “no doubt saved a life today”.

Chief pilot Paul Gibson said the Queensland-based rescue helicopter service was “pleased to assist our colleagues in New South Wales today with a rescue over the border”.

“Lifesaving is a joint effort between many parties, we were happy to work together with NSW to represent the red and yellow in the air,” he said.

“We would like to remind everyone to please check conditions before entering the water, even in winter, conditions can change quickly.”

Surf Lifesaving Queensland said the smartwatch came in “very handy for this lucky swimmer”.