- Surfing Vacation Turns Dramatic: Australian Tourists’ Boat Goes Missing, One Resident Still Absent
- Rescue and Survival: Australian Tourist Paddles to Safety, Four Rescued, and One Indonesian Crew Member Missing
- Recovery and Positive Outcome: Survivors Receiving Medical Care, Tourists Determined to Continue Surfing Trip
The Australians were on a surfing vacation before poor weather prevented them from traveling between two islands. One resident remains absent.
After a boat transporting three of his friends and three Indonesian crew members went missing for two days, an Australian tourist paddled his surfboard to an Indonesian island.
Elliot Foote, his partner Steph Weisse, his mates Will Teagle and Jordan Short, and three Indonesians were on the boat in waters off Indonesia’s Aceh province near the Sarang Alu and Banyak islands.
After leaving Nias Island on Sunday, the wooden speedboat encountered poor weather and heavy rain and was unable to reach its destination of Pinang Island.
Four Australian vacationers and two Indonesian crew members were rescued two days later.
The three other Australians were discovered in the water clinging to their boards. How the Indonesians managed to endure is unclear.
According to the chief of the local rescue agency, one Indonesian crew member is still missing.
Also unknown is how the watercraft ended up in the water.
Mr. Foote’s father, who traveled to the country to commemorate his son’s 30th birthday, received a text message from his son stating that he is safe.
“It reads, ‘Hey Dad, this is Elliot. I am living. Secure now. I adore you. “‘Talk later'” Peter Foote stated at a Sydney news conference.
“It’s fantastic, it’s wonderful news. I’ll have to speak with him and I’d like to see photos of him to determine his appearance. It’s all positive.”
The tourists were part of a party of 13 Australians and five Indonesians traveling to Pinang Island in two boats. Pinang Island is renowned for its pristine beach and excellent surfing conditions.
The six survivors were transported to the island for additional medical care.
The other boat, transporting ten passengers, arrived safely on Sarang Alu island after deciding to seek refuge there.
Mr. Foote stated that his son and his companions intend to surf for the remaining eight days of their trip.
In Indonesia, an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, boats and ferries are a common mode of conveyance.
But lackadaisical safety standards and overcrowding issues frequently result in frequent accidents.
A month ago, 15 persons perished when an overloaded passenger boat capsized off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
