SWIMMERS could be fined to prevent more deaths at Currumbin Rock Pools after a Hope Island man drowned yesterday afternoon.

As police investigated the death, the new area councillor Gail O’Neil said the council would look at further precautions to stop people from disobeying the two danger signs at the site.

Asked if they would consider implementing fines, Cr O’Neill said those conversations would have to wait until after the investigations.

A 41-year-old man couldn’t be revived at the site yesterday after he jumped about 15m and didn’t resurface.

Devastated onlookers spent 20 minutes searching for the man and it took a synchronised circle of eight swimmers to finally retrieve him.

It’s the second recorded death after a diver died in 2004 when he struck his head, and comes almost two months after a 35-year-old man suffered a serious head injury when he hit a rock ledge while jumping at the pools.

Cr O’Neill said the latest incident was a terrible tragedy and council was doing its best to keep it a safe area.

“The rock pools are a natural asset and we do our best to make sure everybody is safe,” she said. “We are not talking about young kids, we are talking about a man who had his family there.

“We don’t know if he made an error of judgment.

“There will be a lot of suggestions come forward (to improve it) ... the council would look at those but right now we have to wait.”

Not long after yesterday’s fatality swimmers continued jumping into the water and Gold Coast District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Bruce Pearce said it was stupidity.

“The warnings are very clear here, it’s well signed here saying that it’s dangerous and could cause death or serious injury,” he said. “Shortly after, while the ambulance and police are still here, there are people climbing up the rocks to go again.

“It’s absolute stupidity.”

One of the first people to begin searching for the man was Southport resident Tamehana Te Fono who had only been at the pools for about 30 minutes.

“It just happened that quick,” he said. “As soon as he got to the top he just jumped straight away.”

Tallebudgera resident Craig Smith said it was only a matter of time before people got hurt.

“Sometimes there can be a line of people waiting to jump,” he said.