A police officer was lucky to escape serious injury after plunging 30 metres down the side of a mountain south of Sydney.
The 40-year-old male sergeant was sent to Moss Vale Road on Cambewarra Mountain, in Nowra, about 12.30am (AEDT) on Thursday to help the State Emergency Service (SES) deal with a fallen tree.
The tree toppled over in high winds and heavy rain which lashed the region overnight.
The sergeant was standing by the side of the road when it gave way, sending him plummeting down the side of the 650-metre high mountain.
His fall was only halted by vines about 30 metres down.
Emergency services rescued him and he was taken to Shoalhaven Hospital in a stable condition.
One lane of Moss Vale Road was closed and drivers are urged to avoid the area.
The wild weather which lashed parts of NSW overnight kept emergency services busy all night.
The SES received more than 90 calls for help by midnight on Thursday.
“The majority of the call outs have been for trees down,” an SES spokesman told AAP.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more heavy rain and possible flash flooding in Sydney and the south coast on Thursday.
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