San Remo channel rescue

Three men were rescued by a recreational fishing boat – with the help of the police helicopter - off San Remo after they were swept away by strong currents this afternoon.

Police said the men were fishing – believed to be on the San Remo jetty - and fell into the water when they quickly got pulled into the channel.

“Emergency services were called to reports of three men struggling in the water near San Remo Jetty about 2.45pm,” a police spokeswoman said.

“It is understood they got into difficulty when fishing, and a 17-year-old boy managed to get himself to shore. 

“With assistance from Police Air Wing, a 40-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy were rescued by another fishing boat.”

Ambulance media confirmed paramedics were called to a water incident in San Remo.

“A teenaged male was assessed at the scene but did not require treatment or transport,” ambulance media said.

Two people were taken to Wonthaggi Hospital in a stable condition.

San Remo Fisherman’s Co-op manager Paul Mannix said he and his staff saw two men floating up the channel.

“They were in strife, that is for sure. They would have been worried,” Paul said.

“The tide was coming into the bay fast, so in that way they were lucky it wasn’t out going.

“It could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the recreational fisherman picking them up.”

Paul said one of the co-op’s shark fishermen threw ropes into the water to try and collect the men and when that didn’t work he was about to launch his 50 foot boat.

“He quickly realised the water they were in was shallow and he couldn’t get his boat out to them.”

At that point the recreational boat came to the rescue and grabbed the two waterlogged anglers, taking them to the jetty.

Four ambulances attended the jetty and left with no lights or sirens.

Paul said the afternoon had beautiful conditions and they were “flat chat” in the co-op, while the jetty was full of visitors, jetty jumpers and fishers.

“Between serving customers my staff and I saw the whole thing.”