The bodies of two Japanese teenagers, who had been reported missing from a school tour group, have been found at Lake McKenzie on Queensland’s Fraser Island. Queensland police said the boys were reported missing from a school tour group near Lake McKenzie just after 5:00 pm on Friday. Local officers, swift-water rescue crews, State Emergency Service officers and the Rural Fire Service and helicopters were involved in the search at Fraser Island.
The bodies of the two boys were found in water about 8:20 am.Police will prepare a report for the Coroner. Police Inspector Tony Clowes from the Maryborough Patrol Group said the boys had been on the same school tour together. Inspector Clowes said the boys’ families had been notified and police were working very closely with the Japanese consulate to provide all the support it could to the families. He said police were in the early stages of their investigation. “This is a tragic event there is no doubt about that,” Inspector Clowes said. “Certainly it would be confronting for all persons involved, including emergency services who responded. “There’ll be a full investigation obviously we’ll be speaking to all the witnesses available and putting together a full picture of exactly what occurred, the events, and the timing of the events.”
The boys were on a high school exchange. They left Japan on March 24 and were planning to return on the 31st. Their school was informed by police on Saturday morning. The boys’ families and vice principal of the school are travelling to Brisbane. Jeff Ellison from SeaLink Travel Group, which owns Kingfisher Bay resort, said staffs were cooperating with police as part of the investigation. “They were on a group tour with guides with them and interpreters,” Mr Ellison said.”We’re doing an investigation and obviously cooperating with the police who are leading the investigation to see what happened. Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the deaths had shocked the community. Cr Seymour said the popular tourist spot was considered a very safe place. “It’s a calm lake in the middle of an island whatever has happened is highly unusual,” he said.
>Alma Siddiqua
Australia: Missing Japanese Teenagers found Dead in Fraser Island
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