One of the volunteer lifesavers who drowned while saving a tourist's life off the Victorian coast was due to become a father for the first time later this year, his family have revealed.

Key points: Surf lifesavers across the state have observed a minute of silence for the father and son

Surf lifesavers across the state have observed a minute of silence for the father and son Andrew Powell's partner Amber Griffiths said she had lost "the love of her life"

Andrew Powell's partner Amber Griffiths said she had lost "the love of her life" Prime Minister Scott Morrison has paid tribute to the pair's "ultimate sacrifice"

Ross Powell, 71, and his son Andrew, 32, died after their boat flipped during the rescue of a 30-year-old man from waters near the Twelve Apostles, in the state's west.

The man they were rescuing was an international tourist who had gotten into difficulty while wading near the mouth of the Sherbrook River near Port Campbell on Sunday morning, police said.

Police said the six-metre rigid-hull rescue boat was swamped in heavy surf conditions, throwing three men into the water.

An emergency helicopter winched two of the men to safety from the pounding surf, including the man who was swept out to sea in a rip and rescuer Phil Younis, who was seriously injured.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 39 seconds 39 s A helicopter rescues the tourist and one lifesaver from the water

Mr Younis, who is also the head of the local CFA brigade, has undergone surgery at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and is in a stable condition.

The bodies of the father and son were recovered from the water, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.

'My heart is broken'

In a post on Facebook, Andrew Powell's partner, Amber Griffiths, described him as the "light of my life".

"Today we lost two of the most beautiful people to ever exist — always putting others first," she wrote.

"The love of my life, light of my life, father of my baby girl. My heart is broken. I miss you Andrew Powell."

Amber Griffiths and Andrew Powell were expecting a child together. ( Facebook: Amber Griffiths )

In a statement, the Powell family said "Andy" and Amber were expecting their first child in August.

"We will miss our beautiful, big-hearted Andy and were so proud of the person he was — gentle, compassionate, loving and selfless — like his father," the statement said.

The family also revealed that Ross Powell had received a Royal Humane Society Bravery Award for his role in another Easter Sunday rescue in the area almost 40 years ago, in 1980.

His sister, Marea, said Ross was the most "wonderful brother" and her "rock".

"My two children loved and idolised their uncle and loved their cousin Andy," she said.

Surf lifesaving officials said the pair were wearing their safety gear when they went into the water. ( Warrnambool Standard: Rob Gunstone )

In their statement, the family said Andy had followed in his father's dairy farming footsteps and was involved in an agricultural program at the Timboon P-12 School.

The school said in a Facebook post the death of the "all round top bloke" and former student had plunged the community into mourning.

"Andy was an engaging teacher who, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, would challenge students to solve problems, embrace technology and share his passion for agriculture and his community," the post said.

Family farm about to be handed between generations

Corangamite Shire Mayor Neil Trotter, who has known Ross Powell for most of his life, said the weekend was meant to be one of celebration for the Powell family.

"They were moving into a new house and handing over the reins, more or less, from one generation to the next and Andy was to go on the farm," Cr Trotter said.

Mr Trotter said the local community was always fearful of "incidents" around Easter. ( ABC News: Nicole Mills )

Cr Trotter said Ross Powell was a foundation member of the surf club and a very loyal friend who also volunteered for the CFA and SES.

"A lot of volunteering goes under the radar but when something like this happens you can see what the true cost is," he said.

Locals had always been nervous around Easter when there are king tides on the beach, Cr Trotter said.

"Sherbrook Beach has always been a beach of concern because it opens onto the Southern Ocean and it drops away very quickly," he said.

"It's always an issue for us and we're always fearful around Easter because it's one time of the year we know there can be incidents."

At Port Campbell, surf club members paused to remember their colleagues. ( ABC News: Nicole Mills )

Martin Vandewouw, who worked with Ross and Andrew Powell at the surf lifesaving club as well as the CFA and SES, described Ross Powell as a community leader.

"That leadership … really rubbed off on Andy because he was exactly the same. He was following in the footsteps of his father in every way," he said.

"His father really broke some new ground in agriculture and Andy was doing the same.

"If you drove past his place ... it always looked better than everybody else's. That's because they excelled in what they did."

Andrew Powell won a farming leadership award which recognised his work at Timboon P-12 School. ( Facebook: Timboon P-12 School )

Prime Minister lauds 'ultimate sacrifice'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also paid tribute to the men, who he said had "put themselves second" when they went to the rescue of the tourist.

"We thank them for their selfless service and they've made the ultimate sacrifice for responsibilities they've taken on in a voluntary capacity," he said at an event in Melbourne.

Victorian lifesavers on patrol on Monday observed a minute's silence about 12:30pm for their colleagues.

Since December 1, Victorian lifesavers have performed 523 rescues and provided first aid to almost 3,000 people.

The chief executive of Life Saving Victoria, Nigel Taylor, said he had known Ross Powell for more than 30 years and described him and Phil Younis as the "godfathers" of the Port Campbell Surf Lifesaving Club.

"Phil Younis and Ross Powell had been driving that craft in these swells for 30-odd years. Phil was a great local surfer as well. So in terms of their background and local knowledge, you couldn't have asked for more."

Lifesavers at Hampton Beach in Melbourne's south-east joined the minute's silence. ( ABC News: Simon Winter )

The SES's acting chief officer David Baker also praised the bravery of the men.

"Ross and Andrew epitomised the very essence of small-town Victoria community service," he said.

"[They were] fully dedicated, crossing multiple skills and competencies as Victorian SES members … the holistic package that you get out of our people who wear orange and protect their local communities every day."

Mr Taylor urged people to consider the conditions and their own ability before entering the water.

"These are seriously big ocean swells that hit this shoreline here," he said.

"Know your own capability and if you're not feeling confident, maybe today is not the day to go in the water."