‘Christmas miracle’ as four missing teens found at Swan Island, more than 30km from Rosebud
A teen who spent the night drifting across Port Phillip Bay on a paddleboard says she could only think of her mother during the eight hour ordeal.
Victoria
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A teenager who spent the night drifting across Port Phillip Bay on a paddleboard says she could only think of her mother during the eight hour ordeal.
Shirui Zheng, 18, along with three of her friends were swept from Rosebud to Swan Island – a distance of 22km – on two inflatable paddleboards after strong winds carried them from shore on Monday afternoon.
As she clung to her board, Ms Zheng said she thought of her mother because the pair had argued the previous day.
“I just wanted go home and apologise to her,” she told media on Wednesday.
“I was scared that she would be mad at me but she wasn’t so that’s a relief.”
The Glen Iris teen said she had never felt so cold but the group, none of whom were good swimmers, kept their spirits up by singing and taking in their surroundings.
“It was quite all right because there were stars in the sky and they were like shiny little fish in the sea,” she said.
Ms Zheng brought doughnuts to her boyfriend Rong Shi, 18, at Geelong Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, as he was the only one of the group yet to be discharged.
Mr Shi’s dad Jack Li spoke outside of the hospital, describing how the group bound their boards together to stop them from being separated as they drifted across the bay.
“We’re still digesting what happened, it’s a Christmas miracle, so we are just so grateful for this,” he said.
“Very, very happy and such a relief … I have not seen him (Rong) yet (this morning). It is the doctor’s advice to rest,” he said.
Rong and Lee are expected to be discharged later today.
Mr Shi said it was “such a relief” to see his son and three friends after a sleepless night.
“I hugged him, he said ‘hey dad, isn’t it cool?’. It was such a relief, and (we were) happy to see them well and safe,” he said.
“They wanted to have some fun but the wind was very strong so it pushed them away from the beach, so they could not get back.
“They were trying to paddle back to shore but it was just impossible.
“They are very calm, their main strategy (was) not to panic much.”
He said they could see helicopters and boats searching for them, which sparked hope.
Mr Shi said the group was “very cold, exhausted and hungry” when they were finally found.
“This is a very (big) relief. They are on this together. They encourage(d) each other, hug each other (so they) feel not lonely.”
The group landed on Swan Island just after 2am where they took shelter in a hut.
It comes after Rong Shi told how he couldn’t feel his hands as he desperately clung to his paddle board as he drifted 22km across Port Phillip Bay.
The group, on two inflatable paddle boards, reached Swan Island off the Bellarine Peninsula on Tuesday morning – six hours after they were reported missing after entering the water at Rosebud.
Speaking from his bed at Geelong Hospital, one of the teens, Rong Shi, said it was a “miracle” the group had made it to shore.
“There was a point where we were really tired,” he told ABC News. “When I closed my eyes, I felt like I couldn’t feel my hands were still attached to my nerves.
“It still feels like a dream to me. (I) can’t believe we made it, if you look back, it’s really, it’s a miracle.”
Mr Shi said when the group realised they could not get back to shore, they tried waving down passing boats. They were carried across the bay and through busy shipping lanes by 30km/h winds before they landed on Swan Island, home to an army training base, just after 2am where they took shelter in a hut.
Family members gathered outside the Rosebud Yacht Club during the early hours of Tuesday morning fearing the worst, before news arrived the teens were safe after they made contact with a security guard stationed on the island.
“They came in and gave us blankets and food and water,” Mr Shi said.
Family friend Joseph Hong said the teens were in “good spirits” after the misadventure.
“They weren’t scared … they were just waiting for the tide to bring them in,” he said.
WATCH: TEENS DRIFT FROM ROSEBUD TO SWAN ISLAND
Jack Shi of Glen Waverly, father of one of the teens, said he was “beyond relieved” after his son and his friends were discovered.
“We’re so grateful to the police and the media for their help,” Mr Shi said.
“Thank you so much, thank you to everyone – we really appreciate all the help, everything – from the police, from the rescue team, from everybody who was involved.”
He said this was the “Australian way” and was overwhelmed with the support shown in his time of crisis.
“They’re not good swimmers, they do not have the skills to swim in the bay.”
Trying to enjoy a schoolies trip after graduating high school, the group of two boys and two girls headed out on the water on the paddle boards from Rosebud foreshore at about 5.30pm Monday.
At about 8pm, a passer-by found a pile of belongings on the beach including a mobile phone, and alerted police. The alarm was raised, with police air wing, ambulance choppers, water police and local rescue boats deployed. Acting Superintendent Terence Rowlands from Mornington Peninsula police said it was “an absolutely fantastic outcome” that the group were unharmed. “Too often, police members in these circumstances see tragedy, but on this occasion I’m happy to say that the four missing people have been found safe and well,” he said. “It’s absolutely sensational – fantastic outcome for the family.” Supt Rowlands said he guessed the group would be “very cold and very relieved to be on dry land”.
Pushed entirely by wind and the current, the four travelled across Port Phillip Bay along a route described by Ilana Cherny of the Bureau of Meteorology as “very exposed”. “It’s a very open area, so it does tend to be windier than other parts of the bay,” she said.
“The wind got stronger at around 4am – when the search was halted because of rough conditions – and it was about 11 degrees at Frankston Beach.”
Rosebud locals Courtney and Bayley said with such strong winds, they rarely swam at the beach even on calm days. “It’s nearly always people coming down the coast for a day trip or a short holiday that are so keen on swimming, but the locals all know how dangerous it is,” they said.
“It’s such a relief that the kids have been found.”
The four teens were taken to Geelong Hospital where they were treated for mild hypothermia.
Originally published as ‘Christmas miracle’ as four missing teens found at Swan Island, more than 30km from Rosebud
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