Two teenage boys have been charged after an alleged one-punch attack in Surfers Paradise that has left a man in hospital with traumatic brain injuries.

Police said the 21-year-old victim was walking with a friend when a group of teenagers started to verbally abuse them.

Two of the teenagers continued to follow the 21-year-old and his friend, with one eventually delivering a punch to the back of the victim’s head, police said.

The victim fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement.

On Wednesday afternoon a 16-year-old was charged with one count of grievous bodily harm, and common assault.

A 14-year-old-year boy was charged with common assault.

Queensland Ambulance Service Acting Assistant Commissioner Drew Hebbron said paramedics were on the scene within six minutes.

He said the injuries sustained were life-threatening.

“You don’t get much more serious than that,” he said.

“They’re difficult to treat because it’s inside the head and you need urgent intervention from a hospital, which is exactly what he’s got.”

This morning’s incident was the second one-punch attack in Surfers Paradise in recent months.

In October, a 23-year-old man suffered critical injuries after an assault in October.

The incident also comes exactly one year after Brisbane water polo player Cole Miller was killed by a one-punch attack in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.