Two kayakers missing in Victoria’s south-west were located after a resourceful 13-year-old used his watch to signal a police helicopter.
The kayakers – a teenage boy and a 51-year-old Mount Gambier woman – failed to return to their rendezvous point near the Keegans Bend Track at Drik Drik about 8pm on Saturday.
Emergency services were notified and a search for the pair was carried out on the ground and in the air by Victoria police and the State Emergency Service.
The police air wing located the duo after the boy used the light on his watch to signal the helicopter in the dark. They were found on the bank of the Glenelg River near Laceys Lane after midnight.
Insp Kelly Walker said on Sunday: “The quick-thinking actions of the 13-year-old boy, who shined his watch light at police, ultimately led to their rescue.”
“Our night-vision picks up heat, so the pair were not standing out against the large number of wildlife that comes out to play at night,” Walker said. But the watch light “appeared as a beacon which led crews to their exact location”.
Neither the teenager nor the woman were injured. They were airlifted to Portland where they were reunited with family.
“It’s a timely reminder to ensure you have the right equipment when setting out for a paddle – carrying a form of communication and a lifejacket could save your life,” Walker said.
