A 73-year-old kayaker who spent a night lost at sea north of Adelaide has been rescued by helicopter, with the worst part of his ordeal being, in his words, 'too many mozzies'. Goran Radic was winched to safety on Wednesday morning after a 14-hour search involving police water operations, a helicopter, and volunteer marine rescue crews.
Radic had set out from Middle Beach, about 40km north-west of Adelaide, on Tuesday afternoon in his one-person kayak, a trip he had made 'about a thousand times before'. However, he became disoriented in St Vincent Gulf. 'The moment I didn't see entrance into the channels I knew something was different,' he told local media.
Relatives raised the alarm just before 11pm on Tuesday when Radic failed to return. An extensive overnight search with infrared cameras failed to locate him. The search resumed at dawn, and Radic was spotted at about 8.30am sitting in his kayak 2km south of Middle Beach. He was winched to safety and found to be in good health.
Radic described seeing a rescue helicopter during the night but being missed. He then attempted to paddle to St Kilda, about 20km north-west of Adelaide, but turned back when he couldn't find it. After being rescued, he called his wife. 'She's happy I'm alive,' he said. He thanked the first responders, calling them 'professionals'.
Despite the ordeal, Radic said he would kayak again but would 'be more careful' next time. Police thanked the public, particularly those familiar with the kayaker who helped guide search efforts.
