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The top secret military island where missing paddleboarding teens spent the night shivering and huddled together after being swept out to sea
- A group of missing teen paddleboarders spent the night in a secret miliatry base
- The teens went missing on Monday after getting swept to sea in Port Phillip Bay
- The group found shelter in a hut before being discovered by security on Tuesday
- No one is willing to speak publicly about what happens at the secret base
An island where a group of teenager paddle boarders washed up after being swept out to sea is a military training base shrouded in secrecy.
There is 24-hour security at Swan Island and only those with special clearance are permitted to enter it through a security gate.
The eastern side of the island is occupied by Defence while the western side is home to a golf club and yacht club, however only members are allowed to visit.
Two 18-year-old men and two women aged 18 and 19 washed up on the military side of the island after they got caught in strong winds on Monday and spent the night drifting in Port Phillip Bay.
An island where a group of teenager paddle boarders washed up after being swept out to sea on Monday is a military training base shrouded in secrecy
Two teens washed up on the military side of Swan Island after they went paddleboarding at Rosebud, before getting caught in strong winds and spent the night drifting in Port Phillip Bay
The group set off on inflatable paddle boards from Rosebud before being pulled away and ultimately ended up more than 20 kilometres from where they set off.
Locals and those with military connections were hesitant to speak publicly about its importance in current operations and little is known about what happens at the training base.
It attracted attention in 2007 when three off duty soldiers in a rental car plunged into waters off the island as they returned to base after a night out.
The base again made headlines in 2014 when a defence inquiry looked into claims security personnel had manhandled a group of peace protesters who broke into the facility.
The group of teens washed ashore about 2am on Tuesday and found shelter in a hut on the top secret island before they were discovered by security about 9am
The probe found the response to the trespassers, which included using blindfolds and body searches, was not excessive considering the terror threat at the time.
The facility was created in the 1870s as a safeguard against the threat of a possible Russian invasion during the Crimean War.
It was used to store explosives during World War I and became a base after World War II.
When asked about the rescue, a spokesperson for Defence confirmed their members provided assistance to emergency services in the rescue of four civilians but directed any further inquiries to Victoria Police.
The group washed ashore about 2am on Tuesday and found shelter in a hut before they were discovered by security about 9am.
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