A British man had died off the coast of Melbourne after his surfboard snapped in rough conditions.

Strong winds of up to 80mph had been reported in the state yesterday.

A 43-year-old friend had jumped into the water to try and assist him, but both ended up in difficulty.

A police helicopter winched them back to shore, but they were unresponsive and could not be revived.

Emergency services were called to Frankston Beach in Melbourne’s southeast at about 5pm local time on Wednesday.

Both men have yet to be formally identified, with police trying to notify their next of kin.

Inspector Melissa Nixon said the surfer had “minimal experience”, adding: “It appears he may have only been learning to surf.

“His friend obviously thought he was in distress and jumped in to help him.

“The weather conditions yesterday were obviously not appropriate to be in the water surfing, whether you’re experienced or not.

“It is a risk that you take that you put other people in danger.”

A police tactical operator who was involved in rescuing both men from the ocean needed to be treated in hospital for minor injuries following the incident.

“Do not go swimming or surfing in conditions like this when we know that it’s going to be treacherous conditions,” Inspector Nixon added.

“You put yourself at risk. You put people that jump in to help you at risk. You put the emergency services at risk.”