Australian Surfer Missing for 18 Hours Miraculously Found on Remote NSW Island

A young surfer who was feared lost at sea off the NSW North Coast has miraculously survived, with rescue teams locating him on a remote island.

Darcy Deefholts, 19, was last seen on Wednesday afternoon when he left his home in Wooli by bike to go for a surf at Wooli Beach. He was wearing a dark rashy and carrying a cream Malibu surfboard when he left his home at about 4 p.m. (local time) to hit the waves in calm conditions. However, he never returned home from his surf, prompting his family to contact police and report him as missing.

A search began around Wooli Beach, with NSW Police and Marine Rescue activating vehicles, boats, and PolAir to assist in the efforts to locate Deefholts. The search spanned waters and coast from Bare Point to Pebbly Beach. But by nightfall, Deefholts had not been found, and the search was called off at 1 a.m., to resume at first light.

His father, Terry Deefholts, took to social media to plead for his son’s safe return, asking anyone with a boat, drone, plane, or 4WD, as well as beach walkers on foot, to join the search first thing on Thursday morning. “There is only one thing we want now - our beloved boy to be found safe,” his post read. “I am asking anyone with a seaworthy vessel to please meet me at the main Wooli boat ramp and take me to sea to help with the search.”

With hope rapidly fading, the search resumed on Thursday. In a miracle, Darcy was found alive and well on North Solitary Island, 13 km east of Wooli, 18 hours after he left for his surf. The remote island is one of the largest of the NSW coast and is part of the extensive Solitary Islands Marine Park. The rocky outpost is home to an automated lifehouse, but no other infrastructure.

The surfer’s father Terry Deefholts told the Daily Telegraph it was a “one in a million miracle.” “I haven’t had the chance to talk to him yet, I’m just so over the moon.”