Pair of 20yo men in tinnie save 74yo swept into the Bass Strait

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Two north-west Tasmanian men say they're grateful they were able to a save a 74-year-old who was swept into Bass Strait at Ulverstone. Police have praised the pair's swift action.

Transcript

00:00It's only been a day since Alec Newton and Cullum Hodge pulled a man from Bass Strait

00:08and brought him to this boat ramp.

00:11The whole time he was in the boat with me and I was looking after him, they only said

00:15four words and it was, you've saved my life, and that's all he said the whole time.

00:19The ordeal started when the 20-year-olds arrived at the Tasma Parade boat ramp in West Ulverston

00:25yesterday morning.

00:26The ABC understands a 74-year-old man had attempted to launch a boat there, but he lost contact

00:32with the boat and waded into the Leevan River to retrieve it.

00:37Nin Pham was at the boat ramp too and says he called police after losing sight of the

00:42man.

00:43What happened for him?

00:44I don't know.

00:45I don't know what happened for him.

00:47Alec and Cullum decided there was no time to waste.

00:51We rushed to put the boat in as quick as we could and we figured out everything that was

00:55going on.

00:56It was quite rough at the mouth of the river, there was a lot of current.

00:59After about 15 minutes, they spotted the man's head bobbing in the waves.

01:03He was on the verge of being unconscious, he didn't even know that we were there until

01:09we kind of grabbed hold of him and said, oi, we're here, we're here and then he woke

01:14up and his eyes shot wide open and I think he realised he had help there.

01:20They tried to keep him warm but he barely said a word.

01:23I've never seen someone in such distress before.

01:26Although their small tinny struggled in the current, they made it back to the boat ramp

01:31where Marine Rescue was waiting.

01:33It was a different feeling just knowing that we've helped someone out like that.

01:37I couldn't imagine what he would have been feeling.

01:39I'm very grateful that I was there, that we were both there to be able to do that and help

01:43him and help save him.

01:45Very, very lucky, lucky man.

01:48Very lucky.

01:49If I'm not here and he part away, I think for sure.

01:54Tasmania police says the man was treated for hypothermia at the North West Regional Hospital

01:59in Burnie.

02:01They thanked those involved in the rescue for their quick actions and willingness to help

02:05in a dangerous situation.

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