Locals and tourists at the Gaol car park alerted rescue services after a wave flipped the man’s tinnie, leaving him clinging to the upturned hull.

The Water Police, Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Trial Bay Volunteer Coastal Patrol hit their response buttons after phone calls from the public flooded in.

But it was the Coastal Patrol that was first off the blocks.

“We received calls ... that a man was seen on the south side of the gaol on an upturned boat,” patrol commander Beresford Toll told the South West Rocks News.

“The boat was seen drifting out to sea with the fisherman on the hull.”

The patrol orange and white 38 tonne ‘Trial Bay Rescue’ cast off its moorings and was soon crossing the Macleay River bar at full speed to reach the upturned boat and its skipper – by now drifting 1.5km out to sea.

Once alongside, the crew pulled the fisherman safely aboard and attached a tow line to the tinnie.

“The fisherman, who comes from Armidale, is a regular holidaymaker to South West Rocks,” said Mr Toll.

“He was very grateful for our services and thanked every one of us.”

The patrol commander said a swell had come over the stern of the tinnie, swamping the small vessel.

“The swell was big enough that he took one over the back of his boat and his bilge pump and backup pump didn’t respond,” Mr Toll said, adding that the rescue should act as a reminder to boaties.

“People still go out and don’t bother to log on and half of them don’t even know where they are,” he said. Boaties should let people know where they’re going and what time they expect to get back.

The rescue drama didn’t stop there; later in the afternoon the police and coastal patrol were alerted after three flares lit the sky above Smoky Cape mountain.

“Our crew went out but couldn’t see anything, so we believe it was fireworks,” Mr Toll said.