A MAN was very lucky to escape with his life after his small fishing boat was tossed around and slammed into the rocks at the Narooma bar crossing on Monday morning.
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The 51-year-old from Goulburn was headed out by himself around 11am when his Quintrex tinny headed directly into the large swell.
The vessel almost flipped over before being washed into the rocks of the southern breakwater.
Witnesses on the breakwaters, including Narooma local Frankie Sergi, said they could not believe the man headed straight out into the large swell without stopping to take into account the conditions.
Matt Cormick was also on the northern breakwater taking photos of surfers in the big swell and also said he could hardly believe his eyes when the small boat and its solo skipper headed straight out into the swell without hesitating.
Also watching and just behind on the water was a trio of Melbourne fishermen on board their Bar Crusher boat – they had already decided not to go out as the conditions were too dangerous.
They too couldn’t believe what they were seeing
Marty Horell, Frank Stanieri and John Troiano came to the rescue in the Bar Crusher after watching the other boat get slammed on the Narooma bar.
At first they thought the man had been thrown out the vessel as they could not see him, but it turned out he had just been thrown to the floor.
“He is very lucky to be alive,” they said.
They said he was fortunate the tide and current washed him back through the bar where they rushed over to assist.
They were able to tow the boat back to the boat ramp at Apex Park.
Ambulance paramedics treated the shaken man on his boat before giving him the all clear and releasing him to his family, while Narooma police also attended and took statements.
The Goulburn man’s family was keen to thank the Melbourne fishermen for their assistance and the Ambulance paramedics.
While this boater had a lucky escape, this latest incident comes only a week after another fishing boat flipped on the Narooma bar on Easter Friday tossing all five its occupants into the water.
In that case, local surfers who were also out in the big swell came to the rescue picking up and swimming the boaters back to shore.
The skipper of that vessel has said thanks to his rescuers and without them at least three of them could have quite easily drowned.
He said he had learned a lesson and that was to always to wear a proper foam lifejacket and not the inflating ones, as he struggled with his and in an emergency there was not even time to pull the chord.
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First published as Spectacular near-miss accident on Narooma bar | Photos by Narooma News