Scuba diver and fisherman dead in separate incidents in Port Phillip bay | Victoria

A fishing trip has turned into tragedy with a man drowning when large waves caused the boat he was in to capsize near Geelong.

In a separate incident, a scuba diver has died at Rye on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, where emergency services responded to reports that a man was pulled from the water at about 10am.

Victoria police said emergency services were called to Barwon Heads, 20km south-east of Geelong, at 6.50am on Saturday after reports two men had gone overboard in their five-metre fishing boat.

Three members of the public on jetskis were asked to travel 100 metres offshore to help the men, as rough sea conditions and large waves made it unsafe for nearby boats to attempt a rescue.

“They were about three to four metres this morning,” Sr Const Kevin Hoare said.

The jetskiers arrived on the scene about 25 minutes after the capsize and rescued a 61-year-old man from Moriac who was sitting on top of the overturned tinny.

He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries of minor cuts and bruises.

The other man, a 66-year-old from Anglesea, was believed to have been entangled in anchor rope underneath the boat and was unable to be freed.

Life Saving Victoria members extricated the trapped man at about 7.30am but he was declared dead at the scene.

The popular fishing spot usually attracts lots of boats but Hoare said many did not want to go out on Saturday morning due to the size of the waves.

The two men are believed to be work associates.

“It’s an absolute tragedy, especially since both men were wearing lifejackets, but unfortunately in this case that didn’t save the deceased male,” Hoare said.

Meanwhile, police said scuba divers were understood to have found a man unconscious in the water at a popular snorkelling and diving spot at Rye. He was then pulled on to Rye Pier, where emergency services performed CPR.

The man, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.

Police are investigating the circumstances around the death of the diver and will prepare reports of both deaths for the coroner.