The duo launched from Portarlington caravan park jetty, west of Geelong in Victoria, about 3pm on Christmas Day. Conditions in the water quickly deteriorated however and the 51-year-old woman and her stepson, 17, soon drifted into the bay, reports The Herald Sun. Rescue crews sprung to action after another family member raised the alarm when the pair failed to return after 5pm. Local police, aerial units, lifesavers and a coastguard team scoured the waters before a rescue helicopter spotted the pair. In a third Christmas rescue, a 41-year-old man missing for about two hours was spotted by searchers on Lake King in Paynesville, east Gippsland, just before 3pm.

Source: Daily Mail December 26, 2025 13:57 UTC