A man has died and two more are fighting for life after being pulled unconscious from the water on a beach off Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
The trio, who have yet to be formally identified, were swimming in the ocean at Marengo, near Apollo Bay, on Sunday afternoon when they got into trouble, police said.
A passing woman was able to bring the men to shore one by one while others attempted CPR on the beach.
One could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were flown to hospital in critical condition.
The police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Four people died on an unguarded beach on Victoria’s Phillip Island in January, in what was the state’s deadliest drowning event in about two decades.
There were 55 coastal drownings across the country this summer, 19 of which were in Victoria.