Boatie rescues stabbed man, 64
A MAN who was stabbed in the neck flagged down a neighbouring boatie for help after a terrifying brawl near Portsmith at the weekend.
The fight broke out about 6am on Saturday on a slipway in Trinity Inlet and a 27-yearold Portsmith man has been charged with attempted murder.
A 64-year-old man was taken to Cairns Hospital with a serious cut to his neck and head.
It was understood the younger man produced a blade and allegedly inflicted the wound.
Cairns Police district duty officer Senior Sergeant Simon Atkinson said the men were known to each other and the older man “got a lift to shore with a neighbouring boat owner”.
He did not swim through the notoriously crocodile-infested waters as earlier reports suggested.
“The boat was across a slipway at Trinity Inlet. It was on the beach and not totally in the water,” Senior Sergeant Atkinson said.
“The older man hailed another man down and he took the injured man to shore where he was met by the ambulance at the trawler base wharf.”
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said critical care paramedics were called to the Fearnley St address and the man was taken to Cairns Hospital in a critical condition.
Senior Sergeant Atkinson said police had finalised their investigation of the stabbing.
The 64-year-old man was still in Cairns Hospital yesterday in a stable condition after undergoing surgery to repair his wounds.
Police arrested the 27-yearold man on a nearby boat without incident later on Saturday and charged him with attempted murder.
The motive for the alleged attack remained unclear yesterday but Senior Sergeant Atkinson described the actions as “extreme”.
The 27-year-old man is due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court today.
Cairns Rowing Club president Peter Thoren meets other rowers near where the incident occurred early in the morning several days a week but said there was “generally” not a problem with safety in the area.
THE OLDER MAN HAILED ANOTHER MAN DOWN AND HE TOOK THE INJURED MAN TO SHORE WHERE HE WAS MET BY THE AMBULANCE AT THE TRAWLER BASE WHARF. SENIOR SERGEANT SIMON ATKINSON