About 9.30am two men were fishing in a 14ft aluminium boat, about 300 metres off the beach near Eden, in the Ben Boyd National Park, when for unknown reasons one of the men fell overboard.

Police have been told the other man then tried to pull him back into the boat and in doing so the boat had capsized.

After the boat capsized, the second man grabbed the man who had fallen overboard and swam him to shore on Haycock Beach, where the alarm was raised.

Police and ambulance personnel attended and it was confirmed that the man who fell overboard was deceased.

The other man was treated at the scene for minor injuries and is currently assisting police with inquiries.

It is understood one man was from Merimbula and the other from Albury.

Eden water police and the Merimbula Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol vessel recovered the capsized boat on Wednesday afternoon.

Police from Eden Water Police are investigating and any witnesses are urged to contact the Marine Area Command on 9320 7499.

Local urchin divers said the sea was very calm at the time of the incident.

Several commercial boats were out on the water from Eden as well as recreational boats from Quarantine Bay.

Peter Robert of Merimbula Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol said they had received a call to assist at 10.40am from Warilla Police Station.

“We got our boat ready and the boat’s gone out and is assisting police,” he said.

The accident occurred on the Eden side of Haycock Beach.

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