Nineteen-year-old Darcy Deefholts went out surfing on the afternoon of July 9 at Wooli Beach in New South Wales, Australia. When he failed to come home that night, his parents raised the alarm, calling the police to report the young man missing. Authorities immediately launched a large search-and-rescue effort.
Searchers found his discarded clothes, shoes, and bicycle on the beach. It was obvious that southward currents had swept the young man out to sea. The only source of hope was the absence of his long board. Marine Rescue New South Wales assembled a crew of volunteers and launched their rescue boat, Wooli 30. The community rallied, adding half a dozen private vessels to the search efforts.
Water conditions were favorable, and they were able to cover a significant stretch of coast. But at 1 am on July 10, the vessel had to return to shore, unsuccessful.
A boat belonging to Marine Rescue New South Wales helped search for the missing surfer. Photo: Marine Rescue NSW
One in a million
On the morning of July 10, SAR operations recommenced. Wooli 30 and six other boats began searching, while many more volunteers canvassed the beaches. Around 9 am, a crew of volunteers, including the missing man’s uncle, found him alive on North Solitary Island.
North Solitary Island is part of the Solitary Islands, named by Captain James Cook when he sailed past them in 1770. The small uninhabited island lies 14 kilometers off Wooli Beach.
Deefholts spent the night adrift, clinging to his longboard, before reaching the relative safety of the island. When searchers found the missing surfer, he was cold and suffering from exposure, but otherwise uninjured. Upon reaching shore, he was taken to Grafton Base Hospital for medical assessment and is reportedly recovering well from his ordeal.
His father, Terry Deefholts, spoke with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, expressing his relief and amazement that his son had been found. He had been close to giving up, he told them. “It’s a one in a million. Who survives this?”
ABC also spoke with Marine Rescue Wooli Unit Commander Matthew McLennan, who led the group that found Darcy Deefholts.
“It’s rare that we ever get to participate in a search with an outcome such as this,” McLennan said. The massive community response, and the happy resolution to a case everyone expected to end in tragedy, was “really heartwarming.”
