FIVE men clung to their upturned boat off Port Stephens for more than an hour last night before two were able to swim to a small island and raise the alarm.
The party were fishing near Broughton Island in a six-metre aluminium boat when it capsized about 5.30pm, throwing all of them into water renowned for great white sharks.
They spent an hour clinging to the boat before it was decided two men would swim to a nearby uninhabited island where they managed to flag down other boat users nearby.
The two men on the island were winched to safety by the Hunter Westpac rescue helicopter while the three still in the water were rescued by the men in the other boat.
No one was injured and an assessment was due to be done this morning in relation to salvaging the vessel.
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