Two divers found alive after 20-hour search off North Stradbroke Island

Two divers who vanished in rough seas off the Queensland coast have been found alive after a tense overnight search that stretched more than 20 hours.

Emergency crews were called about 10am on Saturday when the pair, a 45-year-old Victoria Point man and a 43-year-old Robina man, failed to return to their boat at the expected time of 9.15am near Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island.

A large-scale search was launched about 10.30am, involving water police, rescue vessels and aerial crews, as concerns grew for the missing men in deteriorating ocean conditions.

Just before 7am on Sunday, an Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger jet spotted the pair about 2.2 nautical miles east of Main Beach, about 14 nautical miles south of where they were last seen and dropped a life raft to keep them afloat.

Water police reached the divers soon after and brought them to safety before they were winched aboard a Surf Life Saving helicopter.

The men were flown to a park in Southport, assessed by paramedics and then transported to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

Authorities later confirmed both men had been returned home safe and well.

Acting Sergeant Matt Boswell said the ordeal highlighted how quickly situations can escalate on the water.

“You just can never know what’s going to happen,” Sergeant Boswell said.

“They were located about 2.2 nautical miles off Main Beach, and drifted about 14 nautical miles south of their initial location … it’s a long way, they covered a lot of distance.”