Students stranded

By Nicole Williams
The Year 10 students were camping in Sealers Cove when over 370mm of rain fell in the 24 hours before Wednesday 23 March, causing flooding and land slides and blocking the only road into the park.
Dandenong High School principal Martin Culkin said it was a difficult time for the 15 students but they were safe.
“It was a pretty wet and miserable time for them,” Mr Culkin said.
“It was difficult but they had adequate food and shelter.”
The school communicated with parents during the ordeal, reassuring them that the teenagers were safe, had shelter and would be brought out of the area as soon as possible, Mr Culkin said.
The students left for the five-day camp on Monday as part of the Duke of Edinburgh outdoor program experience which requires them to camp in an isolated environment.
They were due to return on Friday but instead were airlifted out of the area about midday Thursday.
A helicopter took them to Yanakie where they were looked after by the Red Cross and SES before being taken to Foster to meet the school bus.