Swedish student, 20, swept off rocks at North Head of Sydney Harbour

A frantic search is underway to find an international student who plunged off the side of a cliff and was then swept off the rocks by a large swell.

The Swedish student, 20, fell at least 7m from the side of Blue Fish Point at Sydney Harbour’s North Head at about 5.30pm on Wednesday. 

The Manly Daily reported that the man had been climbing along the cliff face at the time of the incident with a group of mates. 

The Swedish student had been climbing along the cliff face at the time of the incident with a group of mates (pictured, North Head in Manly)

Witnesses said the young man was sprawled unconscious on the rock platform, having suffered a serious head injury, before he was washed into the sea.

An initial search for the man had to be called off because of poor light at 8pm with the search resumed on Thursday morning. 

Northern Beaches Police superintendent Pat Sharkey told reporters that conditions for the initial marine search had been challenging. 

‘The male has not been found … police have been briefed that the family of the male will arrive in Sydney in the near future.’

The international student fell at least 7m from the side of Blue Fish Point at Sydney Harbour’s North Head at about 5.30pm on Wednesday (pictured, walkers on a footpath near Blue Fish Point)

Witnesses said the young man was sprawled unconscious on the rock platform, having suffered a serious head injury, before he was washed into the sea (pictured, rocks at Blue Fish Point)