A British man has drowned after his surfboard snapped in stormy weather at an Australian beach.
Police and paramedics were called to Frankston Beach in Melbourne’s south-east at about 5pm local time on Wednesday after people spotted two men struggling within the water.
A helicopter was drafted in to winch the pair back to shore, but each were unresponsive and couldn’t be revived.
Neither man has been identified as police work to notify their next-of-kin.
They imagine one, a 36-year-old British national, was browsing when his board snapped because the state was lashed by 80mph winds.
A 43-year-old friend of the surfer jumped into the water to help, but each got here into trouble.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Victoria Police inspector Melissa Nixon said the surfer had ‘minimal experience’.
‘It appears he can have only been learning to surf,’ she said.
‘He was struggling within the water after the surfboard broke. He wasn’t experienced at browsing.
‘His friend obviously thought he was in distress and jumped in to assist him.
‘The weather conditions yesterday were obviously not appropriate to be within the water browsing, whether you’re experienced or not.
‘It’s a risk that you just take that you just put other people in peril.’
She added that a police tactical operator who was involved in rescuing the boys from the ocean was treated for minor injuries in hospital following the incident.
‘He’s needed to go in twice,’ Ms Nixon said.
‘As I said, they’re very experienced. They do that often.
‘Don’t go swimming or browsing in conditions like this once we know that it’s going to be treacherous conditions.
‘You place yourself in danger. You place those who jump in to provide help to in danger. You place the emergency services in danger.’
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