Fisherman shot in the stomach with his own spear gun

A fisherman has told 7 News he is lucky to be alive after a friend accidentally shot him in the stomach with his own spear gun.

The man needed six hours of emergency surgery to remove the barb but says he will be back in the water as soon as possible.

Kristopher Bithel, 24, is still shaken but remarkably upbeat after his surgery.

"Stuff like this happens, it's just a rare occurence ... I got done unfortunately," he said.

Kris and his mate were fishing in Shoal Bay about 30 metres off shore when his friend accidentally fired the gun.

"So I was pretty much swimming horizontally and, um, the gun sort of come down from this angle and it's gone straight through there, punctured there and gone in on that 45 degree angle," he said.

Witnesses jumped in the help, keeping Kris still and above water until paramedics arrived.

Removing the barb was a delicate procedure. Surgeons operated until midnight.

Kris's father was stuck in Sydney traffic when he got the call from police.

Paramedics feared for his safety but Kris is keen to get back to fishing.

"No stopping. I'm too young to be calling it quits," he said.

"Maybe when I'm 80 or something I might throw in the towel."