
UPDATED, Wednesday, 7.20am:
A Melbourne father and daughter paddle-boarding at Port Fairy were rescued by surf lifesavers after being blown about 500 metres out to sea on Tuesday.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson on Wednesday morning confirmed the Melbourne man in his 40s and a teenage girl were treated for water immersion.
"They were transported to Port Fairy Hospital in a stable condition for further assessment and monitoring," she said.
Tuesday: A Melbourne father and daughter paddle-boarding at Port Fairy have been rescued by surf lifesavers after being blown about 500 metres out to sea on Tuesday.
Port Fairy police Senior Constable Lachie Dickson said the 41-year-old Melbourne man and his 13-year-old daughter were on an inflatable paddleboard at Pea Soup Beach off Ocean Drive when they got blown out to sea by the north wind.
The man's wife on the beach raised the alarm at 2.05pm and emergency services swung into action.
The HEMS4 rescue helicopter kept the pair under observation from above while Port Fairy Surf Life Saving Club members launched an inflatable rescue boat from the beach.
"They were about 500 metres off shore," Senior Constable Dickson said.
"It took about an hour to initiate and perform the rescue. The father and daughter were back in just after 3pm.
"The Port Fairy surf club members and the HEMS4 did an outstanding job."
The police officer said the father and his daughter were not great swimmers.
"There's no way they could have got back in," he said.
"It was a recipe for disaster. I suppose they were very lucky to have had the paddle board, but without it they may not have got into the same trouble.
Senior Constable Dickson said holidaymakers had to make sure they were aware of all hazards, including wind, after a number of paddle boarders got into trouble off the Victorian coastline in recent days.
He said there was a similar incident involving a man who was able to dump his paddle board about 11am at Killarney on Monday and swim back to shore.
"He got caught in a rip and was washed out to sea, but nowhere near as far as the rescue off Pea Soup," he said.
"He got into difficulties, the alarm was raised but he was able to swim back to shore.
"The beach can be a very hazardous environment.
"Beach goers need to be aware of rips and other natural hazards, like wind when you're paddle boarding."
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Andrew Thomson
Long-time senior journalist
Long-time senior journalist