- Strong winds blew stand-up paddleboarders into Port Philip Bay.
- They drifted with the tide and landed on an island at around 2 a.m. local time.
- They were taken to hospital, where they were declared “safe and well”.
After floating in turbulent waters for about 30 kilometers (19 miles) over the course of the previous night, four adolescents were “miraculously” discovered alive on an island in southwest Australia, according to officials.
According to a tweet from Victoria Police, the trio left the town of Rosebud on two stand-up paddle boards on Monday before being caught in strong winds that forced them into Port Philip Bay.
They couldn’t resist the gusts, so they drifted with the tide and landed at Swan Island, a military training facility on the other side of the harbor, at around two in the morning, according to authorities.
“Cold and disorientated, the four found shelter in a hut. Once the sun rose, they wandered the island & were located by security,” police said. They were then taken to hospital, police added.
According to Media, two men, both age 18, and two women, both age 18 and 19, were saved.
Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Terence Rowlands said the group were found “safe and well” by a local resident doing their regular morning beach walk, media reported.
He called it an “absolutely fantastic outcome,” adding police had serious concerns about the safety of the group.
Overnight, police initiated an urgent search, using boats and helicopters to scour the area.
One of the kids’ father, Jack Shi, told reporters that he was “extremely glad” and “relieved” that they had been located.
“Our kids have (been) found and we are very very happy about that,” he said. “It’s a huge huge relief, we were very… desperate.”
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