Human remains found in Victorian river believed to be missing kayaker Shane Wilson
Quick Look
- Police believe human remains found in the Goulburn River near Ghin Ghin belong to Shane Wilson, a 53-year-old kayaker who went missing after falling from his kayak while fishing on July 18.
- The remains were discovered six weeks later and are awaiting formal identification.
- The death is not being treated as suspicious.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Shane Wilson went missing on July 18 after falling from his kayak while fishing on the Goulburn River near Ghin Ghin. A search involving multiple emergency services was conducted but was scaled back before the remains were found.
In short:
Police believe human remains found in a north-east Victorian river belong to a 53-year-old kayaker who went missing in July.
Shane Wilson was fishing from a kayak on the Goulburn River near Ghin Ghin when his boat overturned.
What's next?
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Human remains have been found in a north-east Victorian river six weeks after a kayaker fell overboard while fishing.
The remains, which are yet to be formally identified, were found in the Goulburn River at Ghin Ghin on Sunday near the Ghin Ghin Road.
Police believe they belong to Shane Wilson, 53, who fell overboard while fishing from his kayak on July 18.
Emergency Services were called to the river after a witness on the riverbank raised the alarm about Mr Wilson.
Victoria Police, the Country Fire Authority, Lifesaving Victoria and the State Emergency Service (SES) were involved in the search.
An SES spokesperson had said Mr Wilson was a "strong swimmer", but was not wearing a life jacket and the current was flowing rapidly.
At the time, Mr Wilson's sister, Melissa Teague, said her family was "incredibly disappointed" that the search was ending.
"It feels like the search is being scaled back before we've had the chance to bring Shane home, and that's devastating for us," she said.
Ms Teague previously told the ABC that she had a close relationship with her brother, who was 13 years older than her.
"Ever since I was little, I couldn't say 'brother', so I called him 'brudda'. It just stuck," she said.
"Those everyday conversations are what I miss the most. He wasn't just my big brother … he was my best friend, "
The death is not being treated as suspicious.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Police will prepare a report for the coroner regarding the death.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- When will the remains be formally identified?
- What exactly caused the kayak to overturn?
- Were there any safety violations or equipment failures involved?