Man survives horrific accident that killed his identical twin

A young man has survived a shocking crash that claimed the life of his identical twin brother in Melbourne’s southeast on Friday night.

Just before 9:30pm, Mark Lewis lost his life when his ute plunged down a seven-metre embankment and into a creek 85km away from Melbourne.

His passenger and twin brother Dale survived the crash, and managed to climb out of the passenger door to call for help.

The 22-year-old survivor watched on in shock as emergency services swarmed the bank of the Bunyip River in a desperate search to find his brother.

Police are now investigating if the brothers were drinking in the hours before the fatal crash.

The men were heading home when father-of-one Mark lost control of the vehicle.

The ute landed sideways and slid into the river. Dale instantly lost sight of his brother and scrambled to safety to call triple-0.

Upon arrival, the SES launched a rescue boat to sweep the river but there was still no sign of the missing twin.

Fast currents made the ute almost impossible to budge, and it wasn’t until a crane was brought in six hours later that officers found Mark’s body.

“It was unsafe for members to go down and have a look and see if the body was there and also recovering the vehicle needed heavy haulage,” one SES worker told 7 News.

Childhood friends were distraught as they paid tribute to their friend the day after the crash.

They said the mechanic was known for his sense of humour and was much loved by all.

The twins were described by their friends as “inseparable”.

Police said the brothers weren't speeding, but the road is a 100kph zone and the gravel and conditions often make it dangerous.

There have been two other fatal accidents nearby in recent years and locals have been lobbying the council for guardrails.

Alcohol was found at the scene and police are investigating if that was a factor.

Dale is in hospital being treated for shock.