Narooma’s Montague Island Adventures loses a passenger overboard in heavy surf after a rogue wave hits

A man is lucky to be alive after being washed overboard in a raging ocean when a huge wave engulfed a small tour boat and three people were taken to hospital.

The boat, owned by local tour operator Montague Island Adventures, was battling the elements on its way out of the Narooma Inlet on NSW’s far south coast when the wave crashed into the vehicle around 11.25am on Wednesday.

The boat attempting to scale the surf wall in heavy surf was tossed higher and higher with each wave before attempting to scale a final large wave.

The last wave caused the boat to go almost vertical and float into the air with all the orange tourists in life jackets clinging desperately to the boat.

However, a tourist on the open rear deck did not stay in the boat and, despite another passenger lunging to grab him, fell from the rear into the surging water.

A man was washed overboard from a small tourist boat departing from the south NSW coast on Wednesday

Graham Martin, co-founder of HR software provider Worknice, watched from shore and captured the near-tragedy on video.

“It was all super crazy,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

“Waves swept over him and he was at the mercy of the currents.”

“He was lucky enough to drift north, where a bodyboarder helped him onto the rocks.”

Mr Martin said the man was conscious but could not otherwise say what condition he was in.

The Montague Island Adventures tour company’s boat was almost swallowed up by the huge wave

Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene and treated the man, in his 50s, and other passengers on the boat who were injured after being thrown around in the whirlpool.

NSW Ambulance told the Daily Mail Australia the man had sustained a chest injury and was in trouble breathing and in shock.

Driving out of Narooma Inlet on Wednesday morning was marked by rough conditions from the start

He was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Two other passengers were taken to separate hospitals with suspected broken bones or fractures, while four others were treated for relatively minor injuries.

Watching the drama unfold, Graham Martin said the 50-year-old man who was thrown overboard was lucky to survive

The company that owns the boat, Montague Island Adventures, runs tours to explore the Montague Island Conservation Area, which is 9 km offshore.

They also offer snorkeling with seals, whale watching and fishing charters.

The company has been contacted for comment.

Luckily, the man thrown overboard managed to stay afloat and drifted close enough to a bodyboarder to be rescued, while two other passengers also required hospital treatment