Ferry crew have been praised online after they were filmed rescuing a struggling kayaker who capsized in Sydney Harbour.
Staff rushed to help a man who appeared distressed in the water while they travelled from Manly to Circular Quay on the 7.10am service on Saturday.
General Purpose Hand Colin Gawthorne said the ferry was halfway across the heads when he noticed a bright orange and red coloured surf ski kayak manoeuvring in the rough waters.
“I said to the captain, Carlos, ‘there’s something strange about that surf ski kayak over there’. So he had a look and said ‘we might go check it out’,” Mr Gawthorne told 2GB radio.
The crew ran downstairs to retrieve a long pole and hook to fetch the kayak and bring it aboard, unable to see its owner anywhere.
“Then when I had another look, probably another 100m to port, I noticed another little bright orange (life) jacket and it was a bloke going up and down in the swell,” he added.
The ferry quickly headed towards the man as the crew got their rescue ladder ready.
Video footage, shared by the Manly Observer, shows two crew members leaning over the vessel to hand the kayaker a rope in the water.
Moments later, the kayaker, dressed in a brightly coloured hat and life jacket, looked relieved as he was seen climbing up the ladder onto the ferry with the rope hooked around his arm.
Mr Gawthorne said the kayaker, who had separated from his group, was “pretty puffed and shaken” when he was taken aboard.
“He was very grateful. It turns out he was definitely worth saving because he was one of our regular passengers,” he joked.
Mr Gawthorne said the crew are “forever” pulling out empty kayaks and other objects from the harbour but were “not expecting to be picking up a human”.
“Anything can happen in the water, anything, and the wind picked up so quickly that it became pretty hazardous.”
After making it aboard, the kayaker was checked over by the crew before he was ushered upstairs and offered a hot coffee.
The kayaker, Michael Finn, later revealed on social media he was surf skiing when he experienced an issue with his leg leash.
“Lesson for all surf ski-ers – make sure your leg leash is not ageing,” he commented on the video on Facebook.
Mr Finn praised the praised the crew’s “professionalism and care”, sharing “Carlos hosted me on the bridge and Col made me a cracking coffee!”
Others online also commend the “sensational” work of the quick-thinking captain and crew.
“Great work by all involved especially the expert work of the captain,” passenger Steve Roulston told the Manly Observer.
“Great skills by the captain. Not (an) easy task,” another person commented online.
“The crew on these ferries are always so awesome, so helpful. Well done to everyone involved,” another wrote.
“The amazing crew were also at risk. Bravo,” said another.
“Hopefully he had his opal card with him,” another joked.
News.com.au has contacted Transdev, the operator of Sydney’s government-owned ferries, for comment.
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