Sister of drowned fisherman mourns 'best friend' older brother

Sister remembers brother as search for him along Goulburn River concludesPosted Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 3:06pmSun 26 Jul 2026 at 3:06pmMelissa Teague is 'heartbroken' and 'angry' to have lost her 'best friend' and older brother Shane. (Supplied: Melissa Teague )In short:The search for missing kayaker Shane Wilson near Yea, Victoria has concluded without success.The 53-year-old was last sighted at Ghin Ghin on the Goulburn River on July 18 when his kayak overturned.What's next ?Police say they have been in contact with the family and will revisit the area if there are any new developments.The sister of Shane Wilson, the man feared drowned after he disappeared while fishing on the Goulburn River, has described her brother as her "best friend". Melissa Teague had a close relationship with her brother Shane, who was 13 years older than her.She said he "always looked out for her".Shane Wilson, 53, was fishing from a kayak on the Goulburn River on Saturday July 18 when the boat overturned.Melissa Teague said Shane Wilson was an 'incredible' brother who 'always' made time for her. (Supplied: Melissa Teague)Emergency Services were called to the scene after a witness on the riverbank raised the alarm.Victoria Police, the Country Fire Authority, Lifesaving Victoria and the State Emergency Service (SES) were involved in the search.An SES spokesperson had said Mr Wilson was a "strong swimmer", but the current was "flowing quite rapidly".Mr Wilson was not wearing a life jacket.The SES assisted in the multi-agency search. (Facebook SES Chiltern)Ms Teague said she never called Shane by his first name, he was always 'brudda' to her."Ever since I was little, I couldn't say 'brother', so I called him 'brudda'. It just stuck," she said.Ms Teague said Mr Wilson would call her regularly "nearly every day on his drive home from work, usually complaining about Melbourne traffic".Melissa Teague says she misses talking to her older brother. (Supplied: Melissa Teague)"Those everyday conversations are what I miss the most. He wasn't just my big brother… he was my best friend," said Ms Teague.Victoria Police says the search for the missing kayaker has now concluded.A spokesperson said: "Sadly, with the passage of time and environmental conditions in the area, police hold grave concerns for the man’s welfare and have been working to recover his body.. Police have been in contact with the family regarding the developments of the search.Officers will revisit the area if further information is received or if there are any new developments.