Fisherman swims 8km as sharks are feeding after being knocked off boat

Fisherman swims 8km as sharks are feeding after being knocked off boat

A 25-year-old fisherman who swam nearly eight kilometres to shore without a life jacket after he was knocked off his boat is lucky, say locals, who saw several sharks feeding in the area.

The man's empty boat was found with the engine running off Kirra Beach about 5.15pm yesterday, nearly six hours after he left Tweed Heads to go fishing at Nine Mile Reef, about six kilometres from shore.

Police believe he was knocked off the boat at the reef and, with the motor running, it drifted away.The man then began swimming towards the shore, police said.

Queensland police began an air and land search, which was postponed at 9pm.

The man was found at Fingal Head, about 7.5 kilometres from Nine Mile Reef, at 10.30pm and was taken to Tweed Heads Hospital with cuts and mild hypothermia.

Rod Walmsley, who runs a fishing charter company, saw the fisherman at the reef in the morning and kept in touch with him on his mobile phone throughout the day.
Mr Walmsley became worried when the man, known only as Andy, stopped answering his phone and when his car was seen still parked at the boat ramp in the afternoon.

After hearing that an empty boat had been found, Mr Walmsley returned to the reef and joined the search.

''I sort of didn't hear from him for a while,'' he said.

''I was really, really relieved to hear that he was OK. We were pretty devastated ... when we couldn't find him.''

While fishing for tuna yesterday, Mr Walmsley said he saw quite a few sharks.

''You are food; it's like climbing into a cage with a pack of lions.

''You are fair game.''

Another fisherman, Peter Prouten, also saw a lot of sharks.

''So he was lucky. The sharks are well-fed, obviously, on tuna.''

Tweed Heads Inspector Darren Steel believed the fisherman was in the water for well over six hours and had to climb over sharp rocks when he got to shore.

''[He was in] pretty good spirits, they report. He was obviously pretty tired," Inspector Steel said.

"He was quite fit. Obviously it's a pretty big effort to have swum that far."

The fisherman has been discharged from hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

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