Rescuers used a smoke flare to help locate and save paddleboarders swept out to sea in Australia.
Strong winds sent two teenagers on stand-up boards two nautical miles out to sea at Mount Eliza, in Melbourne, Victoria. One called for help on her smartwatch. The alarm was also raised on the coast.
Frankston SES, Ambulance Victoria, the Police Airwing and Mornington & Hastings Volunteer Marine Rescue responded to the incident one evening in January, according to the VMR Mornington & Hastings Facebook page.
Two VMR Mornington vessels were training nearby. The skippers and crew realised the light was fading and that it was critical to quickly respond.
Meanwhile, the Police Airwing arrived, located the two people and dropped a smoke flare to mark their position. The rescue vessels located and pulled the two paddleboarders and their equipment on board and took them to shore just on nightfall.
VMR thanked the people who raised the alarm and those involved in the search and rescue.
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