Helicopter spotlight a 'shining light' for stranded fisherman

A life jacket, an oar and a plastic bucket stopped "Stinker" from becoming a sinker, and today the 77-year-old was reunited with the rescuers who saved his life.

John Clarke, known locally as "Stinker", thought he was heading out for a routine fish when he launched his tinnie off Port Stephens on June 24.

The experienced angler, who has spent more than 50 years on the water, told his wife Ella to expect him home within hours.

But while casting a line south of the Port Stephens Lighthouse near Fingal Bay, a wave capsized his boat and smashed it against nearby rocks.

Mr Clarke spent more than four hours floating in rough seas before he was rescued and treated for hypothermia.

He today embraced and thanked the paramedics, doctors, police, pilots and marine rescue crews involved in his dramatic rescue.

"I have said thank you 1,000 times [but] thank you is not adequate,"

Mr Clarke said.

A rescue for the books

Rescue Helicopter Service doctor Hannah Hall served as part of a multi-agency team tasked with finding and rescuing Mr Clarke.

"The oceans were huge, the winds were really strong and the temperature was freezing, so we were very worried," she said.

Paramedics back on shore received information from some of Mr Clarke's close friends about his "secret" fishing spot, which helped crews in the air and at sea concentrate their search to a particular area.

But after hours of searching in the dark, hope was starting to fade.

Doctor Hall happened to be sweeping a spotlight out of the helicopter window when she spotted what she first thought was debris.

"I thought I could see something moving and I sort of held my spotlight there and said, 'Guys, I think I see something,'" she said.

Using night-vision goggles, her colleagues were able to confirm it was Mr Clarke, clinging to an oar and a plastic bucket.

Water police quickly swooped in and were able to drag Mr Clarke from the water.

Port Stephens water police coordinator Sergeant Clint Brown is an ex-student of Mr Clarke's.

The two reunited today for the first time since the incident.

"The light off that helicopter was like a shining light for us and for him," Sergeant Brown said.

"He wasn't in a great way, he was very cold, very pale [and] he didn't identify who we were and I've known the guy for 30 years.

"The fact that we're seeing him here today, it's relieving for us because these good news stories don't happen all the time."

Paramedics who assessed Mr Clarke said his body temperature was 27 degrees.

"There wasn't much anticipation for life in association with the factors that were at play," paramedic Ryan Hockey said.

"He's incredibly lucky."

Mistakes made

Mr Clarke said taking his boat out on such rough seas was a mistake.

"It was too rough and I should have been smarter," he said.

"I had the life jacket and it was a tatty old thing, but it kept me up for five hours.

"I have no hesitation in saying, had I been in that ocean without it, I don't reckon I'd [have] lasted 10 minutes."

Mr Clarke said it was a hard lesson learned and one he hoped others would not have to learn the same way.

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