Man rescued by jet ski, helicopter in Surf Coast ocean search

A man has been rescued after an late-night ocean search in Jan Juc, thanks to a passer-by who heard calls for help from nearby walking track.

A man was rescued from rough waters off Jan Juc after a passer-by heard his calls for help from the Surf Coast walking track.

The incident occurred about an hour after sunset on Thursday evening, when four to five-foot swells were battering the coast.

A walker along the track heard cries for help coming from the water in the darkness and immediately called triple-0.

A Victoria Police spokesman said, “A man was located in the water just off Surf Coast Walk and taken back to shore via a jet ski and will be assessed by AV but is not believed to be seriously injured.”

A Victoria Police Air Wing helicopter was used during the rescue, and was observed by locals using a powerful searchlight to examine the coastal waters off Torquay.

Jan Juc residents said it could be seen circling the waters for a number of hours.

It is unclear why or how the man ended up in the water prior to his rescue.

“Well done to the passer-by, emergency services and rescue team – incredible,” one person commented on a Facebook post.

“It took them a hot minute to locate him,” another commenter wrote.

“The rescue occurred at about 8pm and it was hovering for a while. this man’s built different!”

Originally published as Man rescued by jet ski, helicopter in Surf Coast ocean search