2 Men Who Died After Being Swept from Pier Identified as Surfer, 36, and Friend Who Tried to Rescue Him: ‘Devastating’

The two men who died after getting into trouble in the water at a beach in Australia were an inexperienced surfer and a friend who tried to rescue him, police have said.

In a news release, Victoria Police said first responders were called to Frankston Beach “following reports of two men in trouble in the water on Wednesday 22 October about 5pm.”

Police said the surfer’s board is believed to have snapped and another man, who was known to the surfer, jumped in the water to to try and help him but they both began to struggle.

“Air Wing came to assist, and both men were winched back to shore but could not be revived,” the release added.

The two men were residents of Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, police told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The outlet reported that the surfer was aged 36 and British, while his friend was 43 years old.

Detective Inspector Melissa Nixon told ABC that the surfer was inexperienced and that “the weather conditions yesterday were obviously not appropriate to be in the water surfing, whether you’re experienced or not.”

“He wasn’t experienced at surfing, he had minimal experience. His friend obviously thought he was in distress and jumped in to help him,” she continued.

The victims have not yet been formally identified yet and “police are continuing to make those enquiries,” the release continued.

Police added that a flight officer from Air Wing had to be taken to the hospital for minor injuries following the incident.

Nixon told ABC that the man had swallowed large amounts of water.

According to the outlet, Victoria experienced severe weather on Wednesday and wind gusts reached up to 80 mph.

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Issuing a warning to residents, Nixon said, “Please do not go swimming or surfing in conditions like this when we know that it’s going to be treacherous conditions.” 

“You put yourself at risk, you put people who jump in to help you at risk, you put emergency services at risk,” she added.

Frankston City Mayor Kris Bolam JP said the two men were “swept from the Frankston Pier during extreme wind conditions,” in a statement shared on the Frankston City Council’s Facebook page.

In his statement, Bolam also paid tribute to the men and said that the Frankston City community extends “our deepest condolences to their families, friends and loved ones.”

“This devastating event is a sharp reminder of the power of nature and the real risk posed by severe weather,” Bolam continued. “The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and other authorities have issued warnings of strong gusts, rough seas and dangerous conditions along our coast and foreshore this week. We urge everyone in our community – residents, visitors, fishers, walkers and beach-goers – to heed these warnings.”

PEOPLE has contacted Victoria Police for further comment.