A Gold Coast surfer is recovering in hospital after he was hit by a boat at a popular surf beach on Sunday morning.
The 54-year-old man was paddling out in the surf at Palm Beach near tower 13 when he was struck by a small fibreglass fishing boat propeller about 5.54am.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Man recovering in hospital after being hit by propellor in surf.
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CCTV shows the boatie pulling the man from the water onto the boat, before rushing him to shore.
Locals walking along the beach jumped into action, helping the man until paramedics arrived, treating the man for life-threatening leg and abdominal injuries.
He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
Currumbin surf instructor Patrick O’Leary told 7NEWS he saw paramedics and police arrive at the beach.
“There are a lot of water users here, everybody has to be responsible, keep an eye out and slow down,” he said.
Another surfer said that he felt sorry for both the injured man and the boat captain and that he believed it was an accident.
He said the water was everyone’s playground and there was no real “right or wrong” on the beach.