FIREFIGHTERS have said a man who got his finger stuck in a boat steering wheel was brave to the point of helping suggest solutions when they were cutting him free.

The man, aged in his early  20s, came in to Bendigo Health from one of the lakes on Sunday night.

The CFA was called to the hospital at about 11pm and took just over an hour to cut the wheel off using a "dremel" cutting tool.

"They were extremely careful not to cut the finger as well as making sure the heat from the disc didn't hurt him," Bendigo CFA senior station officer John Griffiths said.

"We made a quick evaluation and kept making sure the patient was stressed.

"He was quite a brave young lad and by the end of the procedure was very interested in what we were doing and even had a few suggestions."

Senior station officer Griffiths said the call-out wasn't unusual and that cutting rings off fingers was common.

EARLIER

FIREFIGHTERS were called to Bendigo Health on Sunday night to help a man whose finger was stuck in a boat's steering wheel. 

Bendigo CFA station officer Hugh Kelly said units were called about 11pm. 

"The man in his early 20s came from the one of the lakes," he said. 

"His finger was stuck in the steering wheel.

"The man had to remove the wheel from the boat and go to hospital.

"We used a little grinder to remove the steering wheel."

Bendigo Health spokesman Shaun Makepeace said the man was treated and later discharged.