Four Australians missing in waters off Indonesia's Aceh province have been found alive clinging to surfboards after their boat failed to return from an island.
The four are Steph Weisse, Will Teagle, Jordan Short and Elliot Foote.Not even a boat capsizing and 30 hours adrift at sea will stop a group of Australians from continuing their surf holiday after their remarkable tale of survival in Indonesia.
The group of Australians and eight others had been in the Banyak Islands off Sumatra to celebrate Foote's 30th birthday. The Sydney father was speaking to reporters in his Bronte home about midday when he received a brief text: "Hey Dad, Elliot here. I'm alive, safe now, love you. Chat later." Rain, the sea current, hallucinations, and a new moon played havoc with his mind and body, taking him kilometres off course.
But it was an Australian expat searching aboard his catamaran who came across Ms Weisse, Teagle, Short, and two Indonesian crew on Tuesday morning.But questions of "Where's Elliot?" from the boat and "Have you got Elliot?" from the sea quickly dampened the mood.Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong expressed gratitude to the Indonesian authorities who led search efforts and Australian officials who assisted.
The Banyak Islands are known as a tourist destination, with white sand beaches and good waves for surfing.
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