Scuba diver rescues exhausted Kangaroo 1.5 miles out to sea in South Australia

In a story too ‘Australiana’ to believe, a scuba diver and his crew rescued a kangaroo over one and a half miles out to sea.

Spotted first by the captain in the waters of Boston Bay in South Australia, the juvenile kangaroo was struggling in the calm sea. The crew said it was clear the animal recognized its only hope was to get onboard.

Using the vessel’s water door to get down to wave level, driver Jake Murray was able to scoop up the exhausted animal.

The rescue began when skipper Ryan Smith spotted something in the water.”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!”Murray, who is also a farmer, said he ensured his grip was gentle yet firm when restraining the roo’s “powerful and mighty” legs. The animal eventually dozed off in his arms.

Onboard was Miguel Villarroel, a diver from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.”He’s like, ‘Oh, does this happen a fair bit?’ I’m like, ‘Mate, I’ve never seen this in my life,'” Murray recalled.

As to how the roo ended up 3 kilometres out to sea, Murray joked: “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!”The rescue ended hours later when the roo hopped away from the beach under its own strength.

Kangaroos occasionally require rescue from the surf. In 2022, a 17-year-old rookie lifeguard in New South Wales rescued a kangaroo that was pushed into the sea by powerful waves while scampering along rocks, using a rescue board to keep its head above water.