ONE man lost two toes and another had part of a foot removed after they contracted a flesh-eating organism in waters near a popular Sydney boat ramp.

Fishing guide Des Toms said that he had nearly died from a staph infection after wading barefoot near the Roseville boat ramp on Middle Harbour.

Fortunate escape... Des Toms survived the infection he caught near the Roseville boat ramp but at a cost. Credit:Helen Nezdropa

He eventually lost two toes on his left foot after the bug entered his system through a tiny cut underneath a toe last year.

Health authorities said they had received several reports of serious staph infections contracted around Sydney Harbour in 2008. But NSW Health said it had no breakdown on how many become ill from water-borne bacteria.