Giant inflatable duck Daphne found by Aussie fisherman

  • 19/03/2018
Daphne prior to her escape.
Daphne prior to her escape. Photo credit: Facebook/Coogee Jetty to Jetty Swim

A giant inflatable duck that was thought lost at sea has been found.

'Daphne', who is the size of a small caravan, was bought by the Cockburn Masters Swimming Club in Western Australia as a mascot for its events.

Just hours before the annual jetty to jetty swim at Coogee Beach, the plus-size bird made a break for freedom. The duck was blown into the Indian Ocean by strong winds, and drifted out of sight despite a heroic rescue attempt by the swim club president.

Daphne was thought to be lost forever, with some speculating it had journeyed some 400km north of Coogee Beach.

However the duck was actually found just an hour after being reported missing. Toby Gibb spotted Daphne while out fishing near Rottnest Island.

"It looked perfect," he told ABC. "It was fully inflated, there was no damage to [it] whatsoever."

Mr Gibb towed the would-be runaway to shore on the back of his boat, and it spent a week recovering at his home in Perth.

He says he had no idea where the duck had come from or who it belonged to, and wasn't contacted by the swim club until Saturday.

Daphne will be returned home on Wednesday.

Newshub.