Teenagers who were lost at sea speak about terrifying experience
The four teenagers who were lost at sea after paddling out on inflatable boards at the Mornington Peninsula have spoken about their terrifying experience.
Two 18-year-old males, an 18-year-old female and a 19-year-old female from Glen Waverley, were paddling at the beach just off Point Nepean Rd in Rosebud, Victoria when they were swept out to sea.
They joined their boards together to ensure no one would be left behind and drifted through the icy night on their journey of more than 30 kilometres.
Around 2 am they finally saw some land, arriving at the Australian Defence Force facility on Swan Island.
Speaking out since the horrific ordeal, the four teenagers said they never lost hope that they would be eventually found.
“We were just trying to stay alive, and we started trying to call out to passing boats,” Rong Shi told 7NEWS.
Sally Liu was worried about spending the night floating on a paddleboard and if they would survive the conditions.
“I’m thinking ... do we have to stay for the night on this paddleboard and how can we survive?” she said.
“I thought maybe it was my last night ... because for myself I am not a good swimmer.”
Another survivor, Shi Rui Heng, said she just wanted to go home back to her mother after getting into a fight with her earlier that day.
“I was thinking about my mum because we’d had a fight the day before, I just wanted to go home and apologise to her,” she said.
“I’ve never been that cold before, it was pretty scary.”
Despite their circumstances the four tried to make the best of the situation and appreciated the scenery around them.
“There were stars in the sky and there were shiny little fish in the sea ... so it was pretty,” Rui Heng said.
The group are truly lucky to be alive after the strong current swept them from Rosebud Beach to Swan Island in the Queenscliff area before they were eventually found.
“They’ve gone from here (Rosebud) to where we are straight across Port Phillip Bay ... it’s a fair way,” Acting Inspector Terence Rowlands said.
Images: 7News