Father tragically dies trying to pull struggling boys from sea

A father has drowned while trying to rescue two of his young sons caught in surf at a beach on the Great Ocean Road.

Two boys, aged eight and 12, were swimming at Skenes Creek when they found themselves in difficulty after 1pm today.

The boy’s 41-year-old father entered the surf to help them, only to find himself also running into trouble.

The children were eventually rescued, however, the father drowned.

A family member dragged the 41-year-old from the water and attempted to revive him, without success.

The boys were taken to hospital and are in a stable condition. Neither were injured.

The beach, which is popular with campers, was previously patrolled by surf life savers.

Police are currently preparing a report for the coroner.