Pascal "Paz" Deprez, of Catalina, and Terry MacDonell, of Surf Beach, were staring down the barrel of a gun on Thursday night, September 5, at Batehaven Cellars.

Mr Deprez said the man walked in wearing a Captain America onesie and a black stocking over his face.

"We couldn't see his face at all," Mr Deprez said.

"He said, 'give us all your f***ing cash'.

"I thought it was a joke at first.

"I said, 'f*** off, idiot', thinking it was a joke.

"Then all of a sudden I saw his gun.

"He said 'give us your cash or I'll kill ya'."

Mr Deprez said he grabbed all the $50 notes from the till and gave them to Mr MacDonell, who put them on top of the cabinet.

"He told us to walk around the corner," Mr Deprez said.

"I had my back turned.

"Then we waited 10 seconds, walked back in and he was gone."

Mr Deprez said the man, described as in his mid-late 20s with a husky voice, was going to shoot.

"He had a towel wrapped around the gun," he said.

"All we saw was the nozzle and the barrel."

Mr Deprez said he had worked at the store for four years without incident.

He was back at work the following day but was still "shaken up".

"I had no hesitation in giving him the money," Mr Deprez said.

"It's only money - it's not my life."

He thanked Mr MacDonell, Batehaven Cellars owners Tony and Joanne Raffaele and police.

Mr Raffaele said Mr Deprez "is our hero".

He said his "heart sunk" when he received the call from Mr Deprez.

"My wife and I jumped in the car," Mr Raffaele said.

"We didn't actually witness the event but we were there to witness what happened after."

He said police, forensics and detectives were at the scene - something the couple had never had to face.

"We have been here for 32 years," Mr Raffaele said.

In all that time, they had only had "a bit of snatch and grab".

He hoped it would be the last time something like that happened.

Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact Batemans Bay police on (02) 4472 0099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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