Darwin fisho Alex Rubai’s ‘nightmare’ adventure at Shady Camp boat ramp

How a ‘split second’ mistake turned a Darwin man’s fishing adventure into a ‘nightmare’ in a croc-infested creek.

A Territory fisho has dragged his friend out of croc-infested waters by his underwear after a handbrake mishap sent his ute careening into a creek.

Darwin-based tattoo artist Alex Rubai said his plans for an overnight fishing adventure quickly turned to a “nightmare” — leaving him and a mate stuck for hours on a “bloody ramp” facing a sunken car and a marooned boat.

Mr Rubai said on Wednesday he and his friend drove 188km from Darwin to the Shady Camp boat ramp, at Point Stuart.

Mr Rubai said after he backed down the ramp, he pulled the handbrake and jumped out to release the boat, while his friend hopped behind the wheel to drive to the car park.

But his friend’s “split second” mistake during a hill start sent his ute hurtling down the ramp.

“I saw my car going really quickly,” Mr Rubai said.

“I yelled ‘The car! The car!’.”

A video showed Mr Rubai reaching from the side of his bright red boat to catch the tail end of his ute before it completed its nosedive.

“It was fully underwater, but I could still see the headlights,” he said.

Mr Rubai said his friend clambered out of the crocodile-infested waters and jumped onto the car roof.

“He was so panicked. I told him to get on the boat, but he was frozen,” Mr Rubai said.

“I tried to grab him, but grabbed his underwear. I gave him a wedgie.”

Their next challenge was securing the boat to the ramp, with Mr Rubai warning his friend: “Whenever happens don’t f***ing lose your grip on the boat”.

Mr Rubai said five hours later two other friends arrived to help them out — the only problem was they forgot to bring ropes or chains to drag out the ute.

An NT fisho almost lost his car when it sank near the Shady Camp boat ramp. Picture: Calum Murray

He said they all waded into the water, and spent 45 minutes pushing the waterlogged car up the ramp.

“There were no crocodiles that night — it’s lucky,” Mr Rubai said.

Mr Rubai said the towing company was surprised when they arrived an hour later.

Baydon Fawcett from NT Towing 4x4 Recovery said by the time he arrived with the crew and gear, the ute was already on the top of the boat ramp.

“Not so much of an epic story from us this time,” Mr Fawcett wrote on Facebook.

Mr Rubai said with his ute free and on its way to Darwin, he faced a new problem.

His boat was now marooned by the tide.

But disaster after disaster had not diminished his enthusiasm, and once the tides changed he said he turned to his friend and said: “OK brother, now we go fishing”.

“My friend said ‘You’re crazy’,” he said.

“I said, ‘You’ll be my lure, a crocodile is going to eat you’.”

Mr Rubai said after six hours and a few redfin salmon later, they returned to Darwin, still ready for his next fishing adventure.

“It was a little bit wild,” he said.

”It’s not going to slow me down, you have to see the bright side.”

Originally published as Darwin fisho Alex Rubai’s ‘nightmare’ adventure at Shady Camp boat ramp