Brit father, 46, and son, 17, drown after being swept out to sea in Australia
A British father, 46, and his son, 17, have drowned after being swept out to sea in Australia.
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The pair, who have not been named, were discovered in "choppy" waters off the coast of Queensland on Sunday.
They were swimming at Round Hill Head in the small beach town of Seventeen Seventy when the incident happened.
A 37-year-old man, believed to be a local resident, was also found with life-threatening injuries and airlifted to hospital.
He is believed to have hurt his head while jumping in the ocean to help them.
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Emergency services attended the scene following reports that the father and son were in trouble at around 2pm local time.
They are understood to have been visiting the area on holiday from Wales.
Rescuers searched for the tourists for more than an hour in what was described as a "difficult mission".
They were found in separate locations and pulled from the water.
A spokesman for the Rescue 300 helicopter said: "Sunday’s mission was a difficult one.
"Multiple crews were tasked to the scene, including CapRescue.
"Despite the best efforts of all involved, two people tragically lost their lives."
They added: "Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident."
A report is being prepared for the coroner, police said.
A local surf shop owner said the community was devastated by the death of the father and son.
"Situations like this are absolutely horrific," Wayne Mellock told ABC news.
"Our hearts go out to the families... and also the other man that was tragically hurt."
He went on to say: "We have a very huge amount of international tourists in our town.
"They love our beaches because we’ve got the best beaches in the world … but unfortunately they don’t realise how quickly things can change in the ocean."
The Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who have died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities."