An elderly man is dead and another in his 20s is in custody following an alleged early morning assault in the Queensland holiday town of Noosa Heads.
Police say emergency crews located the 87-year-old unconscious on a beachfront path at the northern end of Hastings Street on the tourist strip about 6am on Sunday.
He was found to have sustained serious head injuries consistent with an assault.
Bystanders tried to help the man ahead of the emergency response but he died at the scene shortly after.
A 27-year-old man was taken into custody by officers without incident approximately 100m away and a crime scene was declared.
The man is assisting detectives with their inquiries.
It is believed the two men are not known to each other.
Sunshine Coast investigators have appealed for witnesses to come forward and are urging local businesses and homeowners near the first rock groyne built across the beach with CCTV captured between midnight and 6am, to contact them.
Investigations are ongoing.