Three rescued, including a seven-year-old boy, after their boat capsized and partially sank in Western Port Bay.

The trio were heading back to Stony Point after a fishing trip when their boat struck a sand bank just after 11pm on Monday.

They spent over an hour in the water in life jackets before being taken back to dry land at Stony Point.

The quick thinking skipper had made a distress call on VHF radio, let off flares and activated his EPIRB.

All three emergency methods helped alert emergency services to the position of the stricken vessel.

A 43-year-old man was taken to hospital as a precaution; a 28-year-old man and the boy were treated at the scene.