Two kayakers have been rescued in Tasmania’s north after spending more than 10 hours missing.

The man and his teenage son were kayaking along the South Esk River on Tuesday but failed to reach their destination of Hadspen.

They were last seen at 3.15pm and a concerned family member contacted police about 9pm. An air and ground search started soon after.

A drone pilot found the two kayakers on a small island near Mill Dam about 1.20am on Wednesday.

Air crews could not land there due to heavy tree coverage, so surf lifesaving vessels were sent out. The pair was rescued about 4.30am.

The father and son were uninjured.

Inspector Michael Johnston said the pair were inexperienced kayakers and had underestimated the conditions of the river.

“Both were wearing life jackets. However, neither had taken a mobile phone and [they] were unable to contact emergency services when they encountered difficulties,” he said.

“It was the pair’s first time attempting the route and they had been tipped from their kayaks multiple times before they no longer felt safe continuing their trip.

“The river was fast-flowing with heavy tree coverage, which proved challenging for rescue efforts, and while this was the best result we could have hoped for, it could have easily ended in tragedy.”

Johnston urged people to prepare themselves and plan ahead if they were going onto the water.

-AAP