On the water: Police searching for a teenager missing on Lake Mulwala on Monday. The teenager fell into the water just after 9am on Sunday. Photo: Jared Loughnan
Photo by
Jared Loughnan
Police are still searching for a teenager who is feared drowned following an incident on Lake Mulwala at Yarrawonga on Sunday.
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Police were called to the scene about 9am Sunday after two 16-year-old boys fell from a boat while fishing on the lake.
Two bystanders rushed to the rescue and were able to save one boy, but were unable to locate the second boy.
Police did not say where both teenagers were from and asked the public to respect the privacy of the families.
Police divers and air wing were called to try and find the second teenager, searching all day on Sunday and Monday.
Senior Sergeant Nathan Ractliffe confirmed at a press conference on Monday afternoon that a missing boy has not yet been found.
Victoria Police Senior Sergeant Nathan Ractliffe said the boat did not capsize but could not confirm if the boys were wearing life jackets as investigations were ongoing.
He said police investigators believed the boat was “motoring along and likely to have succumbed to the water conditions … subsequently throwing the two males from the boat into Lake Mulwala”.
Sgt Ractliffe said the boat stayed upright and movement in the water threw the males out of the boat, which has now been seized for further investigation.
He said witnesses saw the two boys treading water.
“A good Samaritan has actually grabbed a floatation device from a nearby resort and assisted one of those males to come back to shore,” Sgt Ractliffe said.
“The good Samaritan has then tried to go back in to assist the second male in the water but he was unable to be located.
“A number of witnesses were trying to communicate to the second male trying to keep him above water to reassure him while the other was being assisted.”
The search continues on Lake Mulwala on Monday with police divers, Search and Rescue, air wing, water police and SES from both sides of the border involved.
Sgt Ractliffe said the exact search location on the Victorian side of the lake was about 150-200m west of Chinamans Bend or 100m north of the (Silverwoods) resort where the incident occurred.
He said the rescued teenager was being supported by family and his community network and is assisting police with their ongoing investigation.
Police and emergency services have found it extremely difficult to undergo a number of search activities due to the weather.
Sgt Ractliffe said conditions in the next couple of days were not expected to be favourable, but police and emergency services were doing everything they could to locate the male.
Sgt Ractliffe asked people using the lake to be wary of the search.
The search will continue with police divers, Search and Rescue, air wing, water police and SES from both sides of the border involved.
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