A 19-YEAR-OLD surfer was miraculously found alive and well after getting marooned on an offshore island in Australia.
Darcy Deefholts’s dad described the rescue as “one in a million” after a major search operation located his son.
The teen had been missing for 17 hours when he was found on North Solitary Island off the New South Wales coast.
He had taken his surf board to Wooli beach on Tuesday afternoon, but his parents contacted the police when he did not return home.
Darcy was swept some nine miles out to sea, and his parents put out a panicked plea for help on social media.
His clothes, bike and shoes were found at an access point to the beach.
His dad Terry wrote that he needed “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”.
He posted: “As far as we can tell, Darcy took a cream Malibu surfboard with him to One Tree at Wooli and went for a surf in very small swell sometime around 4pm. We think he was wearing a dark rashy.
“Of course we are fearing the worst. We are overwhelmed by the community efforts in the search so far.
“There is only one thing we want now – our beloved boy to be found safe.”
Authorities later confirmed the teen was found on North Solitary Island – where he had been marooned overnight – at 9am on Thursday.
A NSW police spokesperson said: “Following a land and water search around Wooli beach, including local police, PolAir, Marine Area Command and Marine Rescue, the man was located safe today on a small island off Wooli.”
A spokesperson for the Northern NSW local health district said he was in a stable conditionat Grafton base hospital.
“The patient is in good spirits and is being supported by family,” the spokesperson said.
“The family would like to thank emergency services and members of the community involved in the search, after the alarm was raised late yesterday when he failed to return home from a surf.”
Family friend Casey Meaker set up a Facebook group to find Darcy during the fraught few hours.
He wrote: “After an incredibly long and cold night, Darcy was found this morning out on the islands off Wooli.
“He made it a long way out – but he’s ALIVE, safe, and getting the care he needs.
“We are absolutely blown away by the strength of this young man and the power of this incredible community.”
Terry called it a “one in a million” rescue. He said “Who survives this?”
“It’s kind of surreal. I was at the point of thinking the absolute worst.”
