Two divers had to be rescued from Bird Island, off Smaills Beach, following a mussel fishing outing yesterday.
First-time diver Liam Samuel (18) and a 25-year-old man, who did not want to be named, went out fishing at low tide yesterday but were unable to swim back in the strong current just an hour later.
"We tried to swim back a couple of times but it was just a bit too dangerous so we swam back in,'' the man said.
"It was his [Liam's] first dive so he was freaking out a bit.''
The man's partner, who also did not want to be named, called police as the stranded men signalled for help.
Police then called the St Kilda Surf Life Saving Club, which sent two rescue boats to the island, Sergeant Glenn Lloyd-Jones, of Dunedin, said.
The men were stranded on the island for about an hour.
The day was not much better before the rescue.
The pair were disappointed with their catch of only about 20 mussels, the man said.
