A SEARCH and rescue operation launched last Wednesday for six local school students fortunately ended in their safe return.
A group of students and their teacher had been canoeing in Murtho earlier that day when it grew closer to dark and the teacher noticed some members of the group were missing.
Renmark SES unit manager Bruce Pinyon said the six students had allegedly been paddling upstream, and had later mistakenly headed to the rendezvous point they were supposed to meet at the following day.
Renmark, Paringa and Barmera SES crews, along with the Paringa CFS and South Australia Police, responded to the missing persons report shortly after 8pm, and initiated a search and rescue operation by boat, foot and plane.
Mr Pinyon said around 2am, the missing students were located by a SAPOL fixed wing aircraft about one kilometre from the Customs House where they had last been seen.
Ground crew were deployed to the area of dense bushland to retrieve the student, who were in healthy and good spirits, and returned them to the care of their teacher.