Overview

• A man drowned at Balnarring Beach on the Mornington Peninsula after falling out of his kayak near Mason-Smith Road around 1pm on Boxing Day.
• Bystanders pulled the man from the water, and paramedics attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
• The victim has not yet been formally identified, and police are preparing a report for the coroner.
• Boxing Day saw extreme heat in Victoria, with temperatures reaching 39 degrees in Melbourne, prompting many to visit beaches while firefighters battled fires in the state's west.
• Royal Life Saving Australia has warned that the festive season is the riskiest time for water-related incidents, with drowning deaths higher this summer compared to the same period last year.