Cameras have captured the moment a rock fisherman was swept into the ocean by crashing waves at the weekend. 

A man was seen fishing off rocks on the South Coast on Sunday when rough surf plunged him into the water.

The 34-year-old was rescued by a Surf Life Saving inflatable, which rescue crews say reached him with seconds to spare.

He was not wearing a life jacket at the time but was kept afloat by a bubble of air trapped beneath his fishing vest.

Rock fishing is a dangerous game, and for one man on the South Coast, it nearly cost him his life today.

Plunged into the ocean by crashing waves, he makes a desperate attempt to return to shore with the whole ordeal caught on camera. @DaltsWorld #9News pic.twitter.com/F32jc22AAA

— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) June 12, 2022

Image: Nine News