‘Nothing short of a miracle they survived.’

A dive instructor and his student have been rescued after they were missing for almost 24 hours off the Queensland coast.

Strong currents dragged the pair away from their boat, sparking a race against the clock and a multi-agency search operation.

Daniel Fitzgerald — a 45-year-old technical diving instructor from Manta Lodge and Scuba Centre — and his student left North Stradbroke Island around 8am on Saturday in a group of four, heading to the Flat Rock dive site several kilometres off Point Lookout.

By 9.30am, only two divers had returned to the boat.

A major rescue operation commenced immediately, with crews searching on the water and in the air throughout the day and night.

The search continued at daybreak Sunday, with the divers eventually spotted by an Australian Maritime Safety Authority jet.

The men were found 7km out to sea and 22km south of Point Lookout, battling 2.5 metre swells and a strong southerly current that had dragged them out.

They were airlifted to Main Beach on the Gold Coast, where they were reunited with their families. A little sunburnt but otherwise safe and well, the pair had survived 22 hours in open waters.

Despite more than 5000 hours of diving experience, nothing could have prepared Fitzgerald for the ordeal.

The men had twin air tanks to keep them afloat and dry suits, which stopped them from freezing to death in the conditions.

Fitzgerald’s family told 7NEWS after a sleepless night they are grateful to have the men back home.

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