Antal Bokor tells story of how he got caught in a stinger net at Palm Cove and almost drowned
A Cairns man who went to Palm Cove for a swim has told the story of how he was unconscious and caught in a stinger net when some strangers saved his life. Find out what happened
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A CAIRNS man who went to Palm Cove for a swim has told the story of how he was unconscious and caught in a stinger net when some strangers saved his life.
Antal Bokor from Mooroobool was swimming on a Friday afternoon a couple weeks ago with his two sons Ferenc and Adam when he found himself stuck.
“I found myself feeling the stinger net descending on my back in all directions,” he said.
“I was feeling a sharp pang of panic in this moment. The wave had lifted the boom with the net, and the current, like a vacuum, pulled me in.
“I opened my eyes underwater but could not see further than half a metre in the murky water.”
Mr Bokor said he tried climbing up over the side.
“It was in my mind, I must survive somehow. The net in the position it was in had trapped me, I couldn’t swim quick enough to get out, the water was too quick,” he said.
After multiple strokes he realised he was not moving.
“I was horrified in this moment because I found the net was so slimy and slippery with algae and my fingers were thicker than the holes in the netting,” he said.
Mr Bokor wanted his story told because he said it could happen to anyone.
His son Ferenc scanned the water for his father and realised what was happening and ran quickly screaming for help.
“My youngest. Adam who is 13 told me afterwards he never heard Ferenc yell like that before,” he said.
“My last memory is that arms were grabbing me and then I switched off.
After people started to realise what was going on about five people came to help.
Muso Musovic from Palm Cove was doing his normal walk when he saw Mr Bokor needed help being pulled out of the water.
“There were two ladies and his son, we grabbed a leg each and dragged him further up the beach,” he said.
“He was starting to turn blue and I said Ferenc just pull his pulse on his neck, I felt it and I couldn’t feel any pulse.”
They managed to do CPR on Mr Bokor until the ambulance got there.
“I was hoping he was alright, at the time, you think this is serious and you don’t want to make a mistake,” he said.
“All that disappears and you’re concentrating, the adrenaline kicks in. My focus was on Anthony.”
On Sunday Mr Bokor organised a BBQ back to where it all began as a thank you.
“I have been to Palm Cove since but I hadn’t been there,” Mr Musovic said.
“Everything was coming back, nets and stuff and the water, but at least we were coming back together. At least it was a positive.”
Mr Musovic said he was happy he had training and knew what to do.
“It’s good to people to know first aid. It’s better to know and not need it than need it and not know it,” he said.
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