A scuba diving crew in South Australia has completed an unusual rescue: retrieving a juvenile kangaroo that had wandered more than one and a half miles out to sea in Boston Bay. The animal was first noticed by the boat's skipper, Ryan Smith, who alerted the crew to what appeared to be an animal in the water.
Driver Jake Murray recounted the initial skepticism among the crew. "He's like, 'I reckon there's a roo in the water,' and we're like, 'Yeah, sure. All right, Ryan, sure,'" Murray told ABC News Australia. "So we doubled back to check it out and yeah—it was a bloody roo in the water!"
The vessel's water door allowed the crew to reach the animal at water level. The kangaroo was so exhausted that Murray, who is also a farmer, was able to lift it aboard with ease. He described taking care to grip the animal's "powerful and mighty" legs gently but firmly, and the kangaroo eventually fell asleep in his arms.
Also on board was Miguel Villarroel, a diver visiting from Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. According to Murray, Villarroel asked whether such sightings were common. "I'm like, 'Mate, I've never seen this in my life,'" Murray told ABC News Australia.
The rescue concluded hours later when the kangaroo hopped away from the beach under its own power. As for how the animal traveled 3 kilometers offshore, Murray offered a humorous theory to the Australian broadcaster: "He must have had a big night and one of the boys put a dare on and he's gone for a splash and put himself into mischief!"
Kangaroos are known to approach the coastline and have occasionally needed help in the water. In 2022, ABC News reported that a 17-year-old rookie lifeguard in New South Wales performed her first rescue after a kangaroo was forced into the sea by strong waves while moving along large rocks. Using a rescue board, she kept the animal's head above water and brought it back to shore.