A 73-year-old kayaker who spent a night lost at sea north of Adelaide has been found unharmed, describing the worst part of his ordeal as 'too many mozzies'. Goran Radic was winched to safety by a rescue helicopter on Wednesday morning after an extensive overnight search.
Radic, an experienced kayaker and keen fisher who grew up in Serbia, launched his one-person kayak from Middle Beach, about 40km north-west of Adelaide, on Tuesday afternoon. He became disoriented in the open waters of St Vincent Gulf, saying he 'didn't see entrance into the channels'.
Relatives raised the alarm shortly before 11pm on Tuesday when Radic failed to return. South Australia Police's water operations unit, Polair, and volunteer marine rescue crews conducted an overnight search using infrared cameras but failed to locate him.
The search resumed on Wednesday morning, and Radic was spotted at around 8.30am sitting in his kayak 2km south of Middle Beach. He told media he saw a rescue helicopter during the night but was missed, so he attempted to paddle to St Kilda but turned back when he couldn't find it.
Radic was winched to safety and assessed by paramedics, who declared him in good health. He said his wife was 'happy I'm alive' and thanked first responders, calling them 'professionals'. Police also thanked the public, particularly those familiar with Radic who helped guide search efforts.
