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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51-year-old Stephen Blowes 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.
But Mr Blowes said he did indeed stop and look, it was just that he could not see the waves from his vantage point.
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.
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.
Mr Bowles though shaken was able to drive the boat back himself to calmer water inside the bar crossing.
Mr Stanieri jumped in to the Quintrex to help drive it back to the boat ramp at Apex Park.
Ambulance paramedics treated a shaken Mr Bowles on his boat before giving him the all clear and releasing him to his family, while Narooma police also attended and took statements.
Mr Bowles’ 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, a part time Narooma resident, contacted the News to thank the surfers, noting that without them at least three of them could have quite easily drowned.
He also thanked the paramedics who showed great compassion, as did the woman who left her jacket for his 20-year-old niece and local Bill Dudley who oversaw the salvage operation.
“The whole incident brought out some great Australian spirit.”
One lesson he learned was to wear a proper foam lifejacket and not the inflating ones, as the toggle became jammed under the cover and he could not find it.
The skipper would like to see the rescuers formally recognised through the formal channels and was speaking to the surf club captain Ben Bate about the potential of bravery awards.