Mooloolaba Spit beach: Anzac Day horror as man is left fighting for life after being pulled from the water unconscious at a popular beach on the Sunshine Coast

A man is fighting for his life after reportedly being pulled from the water unconscious and not breathing at a Sunshine Coast beach on Thursday.

The emergency services were called to the Mooloolaba Esplanade at about 3.50pm, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.

The man was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a critical condition at around 4.30pm, the Courier-Mail reported.

Aaron Purchase of Surf Life Saving Queensland said three people were in the water outside the flagged area, when lifesavers spotted them.

'They retrieved them from the water,' he said. 'It just highlights that the flags are the safest area on the beach to swim.'