A dramatic rescue occurred last week at the entrance in Lakes Entrance after a hire boat with six people on board came close to being dragged out to sea on the outgoing tide.
A recreational boat witnessing the drama yelled out to the occupants to put their life jackets on and called Water Police and Lakes Entrance Coastguard.
The Tommy Norton was berthed at Bullock Island and its crew also noticed the boat in trouble and called Ports workers who took out their small boat Bunga, but it proved too small for the rough conditions.
The conditions at the bar at the time were described as extremely rough with a 3.5 to four-knot tide running out.
"The sea situation was rough, the tide causes the waves to be washed down which are called pressure waves, shortening the waves and causing the area to be like rapids which was pushing the boat sideways, these people were in extreme danger," commander at Lakes Entrance Coastguard, Mike Gilbert, said.

IMAGE: A hire boat with six people on board was dramatically rescued in the entrance last week during dangerous conditions. (PS)