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A member of the Australian Defence Force raised his foot and connected with the heads of two asylum seekers to block them from clambering onto a rescue boat, an inquest has heard.
Corporal Sharon Jager has told a coronial inquest that she was blown into the water by a blast on the SIEV 36 asylum seeker boat near Ashmore Reef last April.
The incident left five Afghan asylum seekers dead.
Corporal Jager said her life jacket did not open and she was struggling to get onto a Navy boat that had come to rescue her.
"[Able Seaman Adrian Medbury] has moved along and he has physically removed the two asylum seekers, saying 'Get the f--- off her, get the f--- of her' as he dragged me into the boat," she told the inquest.
"I saw him raise one of his feet, connect with the asylum seekers, from what I saw it was the head."
The inquest has previously heard that Navy personnel rescued members of the Defence Force before asylum seekers, which is Navy procedure.
Earlier, the naval officer in charge of the boat shortly before it exploded broke down while giving evidence.
The inquest has already heard evidence the fire on the SIEV 36 was deliberately lit with matches or a cigarette lighter.
Chief Petty Officer Faunt told the inquest if he had been in charge of the naval party that first boarded the boat he would have confiscated lighters and matches, whether or not there was petrol on board.
Later, when he was on board the boat, he did not have enough manpower to take the items from the passengers.
But he said in hindsight he should have removed matches from the boat's cabin.
Chief Faunt has suffered post traumatic stress disorder since the fatal blast in April last year.
He was overcome with emotion when asked how much sleep he had had in the time leading up to the explosion, leading to the inquest being briefly adjourned.
He said Navy personnel did not stand back and were active in rescuing the boat's passengers.
The inquest continues.
-ABC
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