A MELBOURNE father has had a lucky escape after he was thrown 1.5 metres when a jet-ski exploded on the Murray River near Rutherglen yesterday.

Michael Timewell, 55, of Mount Eliza, was in the river at Stanton’s Bend, a popular camping and boating spot.

Witnesses, including his son Josh, 16, said when Mr Timewell tried to start the jet-ski, it exploded.

“He couldn’t get it started and all of a sudden it went boom,” Josh said.

His sister, Emily, 12, who was nearby, also heard the explosion.

A witness, Brad Huggins, of Wahgunyah, said he was emptying the water from his boat at the boat ramp when he heard the explosion about 100 metres away and rushed to the scene.

“I was told he was thrown about eight feet into the air with the main part of the jet-ski still lodged between his legs,” Mr Huggins said.

Mr Timewell was thrown into the river by the blast.

He was rescued from the water and taken to Corowa hospital with suspected lower back injuries but later allowed to leave.

Norong CFA fire captain Tony Jones said his brigade was called to the river just before noon.

“The gentleman was trying to start the jet-ski when something caused an explosion, probably a fuel leakage,” Mr Jones said.

He said Mr Timewell was about three to four metres from the shore when the explosion happened and the jet-ski then caught fire.

“He was fortunate not to have suffered any burns in the explosion,” he said.

When the Nogong fire truck and two other units at Rutherglen and Wahgunyah were unable to reach the fire from the shore, Mr Huggins had made his boat available to two firefighters, taking them out to where they could put out the fire with two dry chemical extinguishers.

He then assisted the CFA to tow what was left of the jet-ski back to shore.

Mr Jones said it was fortunate they had been able to salvage the jet-ski and that it hadn’t sunk in the river.

The Timewells had been on holiday at Stanton’s Bend and had only a few days left of a two-week break at the campsite.

They have regularly holidayed at the campsite over the past nine years.