Man charged after Sydney speargun attack sparked manhunt

A 35-year-old man has been arrested in Sydney's Northern Beaches after he allegedly shot another man with a speargun on Friday night, sparking a manhunt.

Police were called to Pittwater Road, Brookvale, just before 6.30pm yesterday after a man was found unresponsive in a fast food restaurant carpark.

The man from Avalon Beach was taken to Manly Police Station where he was charged with attempted murder.

He was also charged with one count of wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm - a serious crime carrying a sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment.

He's been refused bail.

A manhunt was launched on Friday night after a 48-year-old man was found with a spear sticking out from his chest, just centimetres from his heart.

The man was airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious but stable condition and underwent surgery overnight. He has since been released.

The victim was found in his car just before 5pm on Friday on Coonaga Road at Avalon Beach, police said.

"He had a spear protruding from his chest and he was obviously in agony," Detective Chief Inspector Michael Boutouridis told reporters today.

"He was taken to North Shore Hospital where it was established that the spear narrowly missed his heart, he's a very lucky man to be alive, we would have otherwise been talking about a murder.

Chief Inspector Boutouridis said the man had been shot at close range outside a North Avalon Road home "several hundred metres away".

He described what happened next as an "incredible escape".

"The attack continued, allegedly, after the spear attack with a knife or something - a sharp weapon," he said.

"The injured man was able to get into his own car and drive away and hold the spear and stem any bleeding."

"It wasn't a random attack, the two men knew each other ... this was a meeting that obviously went wrong," Chief Inspector Boutouridis said.

The alleged attacker, known only as 'Dingo Dave' was staying in the same house as the victim, with neighbours saying police were called to the residents on regular occasions.

Last night, police had the entire street in lock-down.

Ashley Cardiff, who witnessed the aftermath of the brutal attack said people were trying to keep the victim calm.

"The thing was three foot long sticking out of the open car door ... were trying to keep it calm," she said.

with AAP