Man drowns in rough seas as bureau issues severe weather warning

Parts of Victoria will face potentially destructive winds on Sunday with rough seas already being whipped up across parts of the state.

The warning from the Bureau of Meteorology follows the drowning death of a man off the coast of the Mornington Peninsula on Saturday afternoon.

A man has died after being pulled from the water near Rye Pier on Saturday afternoon.Credit: Nine News

Emergency services were called to Rye about 2.45pm after reports a man, believed to be in his early 30s, was in the water near Rye pier.

Police searched the water for about 30 minutes until a helicopter spotted him about 3.15pm.

“Divers retrieved the man and brought him back to shore where CPR was commenced, but he died at the scene,” Victoria Police said.

Police said they would prepare a report for the coroner.

A witness told 7News on Saturday night that they felt “hopeless” watching from the pier.

“I wanted to jump [in the water], but my friend stopped me,” they said. “The weather is too bad. Too dangerous.”

Vic Emergency issued a storm surge alert for southern parts of the Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island and Gippsland coast at 1.54pm Saturday afternoon, advising severe weather may cause abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

The warning was updated at 5.50pm and said damaging surf can result in strong ocean currents, dangerous waves, instability to cliff areas, and flooding in low-lying coastal areas.

Wild winds have battered the state for the past week, with multiple reports of fallen trees on vehicles, train lines and roads.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued another severe weather and coastal hazard warning on Saturday afternoon for areas across Victoria.

Destructive winds with peak gusts of up to 130km/h were possible from Sunday evening at coastal locations from the South Australian border to Bellarine Peninsula, southeastern Melbourne suburbs, and Mornington Peninsula to Wilsons Promontory.

The Bureau issued a similar alert for areas across western Victoria, warning of damaging winds averaging 50 to 65 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h.

Central and north-east Victoria were also expecting damaging winds on Sunday.

Victoria’s beach towns have been in the spotlight this year after several drowning incidents.

A 20-year-old swimmer died after getting caught in a rip on the Bass Strait side of Rye in February.

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