2 Japanese teenagers found drowned in Australian lake

No one kept track of them?

Very sad. There is a fair chance that dingoes may have chased them in. Strange choice for a school tour if you ask me.

Lakes can be deceiving. There isn't as much buoyancy in fresh water as there is in salt water, and if the water temp was cold they could have cramped up.

No offense to any East Asians but, they don't seem to have any basic understanding of the depth of water and swimming concept.

Time after time, I see Japanese/Korean/Chinese tourists being rescued by the lifeguards at Bondi beach.

No one kept track of them?

They are 16 yr old boys, not inmates. Don't all 16 yr olds go exploring when they have free time in a new place?

How long had the boys been in Australia?

Dingo attacks are becoming more frequent on Fraser island.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingo_attack

As the article states that it is a calm lake in the middle of the island, it seems ridiculous to compare to Bondi beach.

another case of Japanese kids who don't know how to swim playing in water.

it is extremely sad but it keeps happening over and over. if you can not swim, stay the hell away from water or you are going to die.

For years, quite a number of foreign tourist needs to be rescued by lifeguards or even drowned at Bondi beach in NSW and Gold Coast beach in QLD. They underestaminte the danger of the ocean swell. However, this is very unusual as the water in the lake is calm. My sincere condolences to their families.

I have been skinny dipping there early in the morning. It was warm did not seem dangerous at all. I wonder if they had been drinking.

"Lake McKenzie is the postcard-perfect image of Fraser Island — it's where all the tourists go," Seymour said. "It's really unimaginable how somebody, let alone two people, could drown there. It's a calm lake in the middle of an island ... whatever has happened is highly unusual."

It's a good-sized body of water with an average depth of 5-6 meters. May be highly unusual but not really unimaginable to hear of people drowning in just about any lake, really: one kid who cannot swim goes in too far, starts to struggle and the other goes in to try to save him. They both can't make it out. RIP.

Very sad :-(

Remember FRESH water lakes are not as buoyant as salt water (sea)

please check your buoyancy factors, there is a difference!

A very tragic accident indeed. It’s also a very unusual accident. I’ve soent a lot of time on Frazer island and know this lake very well. It is a beautiful and ‘safe’ place for a swim.

ozellis - Dingo attacks are becoming more frequent on Fraser island

Give up on the dingo theory mate. They get persecuted enough without outlandish claims.

No offense to any East Asians but, they don't seem to have any basic understanding of the depth of water and swimming concept.

In my experience diving and snorkeling around Asia and Pacific Islands, Japanese swimmers were much better than those from Korea, Taiwan and China. A lot of people on here seem to have this ideology that Japanese only study swimming in shoulder high water for two weeks a year in Elementary school. Where I live 80% of kids are enrolled or have been enrolled in swimming school for at least 2 years. Even at the steep 10,000円 a month tuition fee. You read about some Japanese drowning and suddenly all Japanese can't swim?

One might simply have cramped up and called for help. Really sad story.

Theoretically you could drown in a puddle as long as its deep enough to cover your mouth and nose... So one shouldn't take a calm lake for granted. Especially as there could be a number of factors involved that resulted in their deaths from cramping up to simply not being able to swim.

Regardless of speculation to what happened. Two young boys have lost their lives and my thoughts are with their families and friends in this very difficult time.

The lake in question has very clear water, white sand, and looks very inviting. Once you go in about 10 metres it suddenly drops off into very deep water. Within one or two steps it goes from knee deep to many metres deep. For a non swimmer it would be easy to get into trouble. Would have to wonder though about the level of supervision on the tour.

What a sad and tragic end to two young lives, their parents must be gutted.

Lots more info to come out yet re this tragedy.

From some accounts to date, it appears the boys were "not left" behind or any such thing. The group were assembling a little further along for a photo shoot and it seems the boys didn't follow the group. If so, maybe the sad ending is a result of mis-adventure.

Always water can present danger - Always. But saying that, 16 year olds probably don't need the same level of supervision as 6 years olds. I've been in this position as a supervisor of water activities in Aust many times and actually did save a young 12 year old boy who didn't follow instructions.

But sadly, now it doesn't matter as the tragic deaths overwhelm everything else.

Theres been a few drownings by Japanese people this year already in Australia - is swimming not a compulsory course in Japan.

Sad and utterly devastating for their parents but we know too little to make supposition.

The article does not even state whether either boy could swim nor any other detail of their death.

While there is a difference in buoyancy between salt and fresh water, most of us learn to swim in swimming pools which are not saline so the difference should not have been of consequence.

Japanese swimmers were much better than those from Korea, Taiwan and China. 

Yeah, could be. But every public pool in Japan I've visited had no deep end, only shallow. A Japanese guy also once told me his country folk usually avoid swimming in lakes due to the depth.