A father and son have drowned at a beach on Phillip Island in Victoria on Monday night.

Emergency services were called to The Colonnades at 5.30pm on Christmas Eve after three men were reported to be in distress, Victoria police said.

A 45-year-old man and his 20-year-old son – both from Cranbourne East in Melbourne – died at the scene.

A young boy who was swimming with them survived – but a police spokesman could not confirm on Tuesday afternoon if he was also related.

“A 45-year-old man was pulled from the water however could not be revived and was declared deceased at the scene,” Victoria police said. “A second man, aged 20, was also pulled from the water and died at the scene.”

Ambulance Victoria confirmed that the young boy, who was primary-school aged, was taken by ambulance to Monash medical centre in a stable condition.

Police said they would prepare a report for the coroner.