British father and son 'drown off Australian coast'

A British father and son have reportedly drowned after they were swept out to sea off the coast of a popular Australian tourist town.

The 46-year-old man and his 17-year-old son reportedly got into difficulty while swimming at a beach in Seventeen Seventy - named after the year Captain James Cook landed in Queensland. They were declared dead at the scene after being pulled from the water by a rescue helicopter.

A third man, an Australian who is believed to have tried to rescue the pair, was taken to hospital after suffering head injuries, according to local media. CapRescue, the emergency service that conducted the operation on Sunday, said it "was a difficult one".

"At 2.17pm, emergency services were called to 1770 after reports three people had been swept out into the ocean," they said in a statement on Facebook. Read morePrivate plane crash in New York kills ex-college football star and familyGovernor forced to flee with family after home 'set ablaze' "Multiple crews were tasked to the scene, including CapRescue.

Despite the best efforts of all involved, two people tragically lost their lives. "One patient was transported by air to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a life-threatening condition.

"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident." Police confirmed the pair were visiting from the UK and said a report would be prepared for the coroner, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), while 7News reported they were father and son. The town, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, draws visitors from around the world and is busy with tourists in the school holidays before Easter.

Surf Life Saving Queensland's regional operations manager, Darren Everard, told ABC the deaths were "an absolute tragedy". "Around any of our creeks and headlands… especially on a high tide when there's a big swell, it's chaos in the water and… sadly, that's where we have coastal fatalities in Australia," he said.

"I think everyone should just take that little bit of time when they go on holidays, and it doesn't matter where you are around Australia, seek local knowledge… but you also need to go to where those flags are." A foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of two British nationals who have died in Australia and are in contact with the local authorities.".