Missing Surfer Found Alive on Island After Being Swept Out to Sea

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A surfer lost at sea has miraculously been found alive. 

On July 10th, it was confirmed by Australian authorities that a man, later identified as Darcy Deefholts, a resident of Wooli, was found on a small island about eight miles from the shore. This discovery came a day after he had gone missing.

On July 9th, as stated by officials, the teenager set off from his home on a bicycle, intending to ride towards the city’s beach. However, when he failed to come back that same evening, his worried family members reached out to authorities, triggering a search within the surrounding area.

According to the statement from the authorities, the missing man was found safe today on a small island situated near Wooli Beach. The search involved local police, PolAir, Marine Area Command, and Marine Rescue who conducted a comprehensive land and water search in the area.

The teen’s father, Terry Deefholts, told the ABC that he could not believe his son had survived.

Terry remarked, “It feels almost unbelievable. I found myself on the brink of my darkest fears. I never gave up, but honestly, I came very close. It’s an incredibly rare occurrence. Who manages to pull through something like this?

According to a representative from Northern NSW Local Health District hospital, who spoke to the ABC, Darcy is currently in a stable condition at their facility. They added that Darcy is in high spirits and is receiving support from loved ones.

On July 9th, according to ABC News, Darcy departed from home without taking his phone and smartwatch while cycling. Later, his bicycle and clothes were discovered at a nearby location known as One Tree. His family speculates that he may have brought his surfboard along for a surfing session.

In the hours that Darcy was missing, the Wooli community came together to locate the teenager. 

Matthew McLennan, the rescue skipper, shared that it was incredibly touching to witness so many community members responding promptly. He added that such outcomes in a search mission are not common, making this particular incident quite special.

TopMob News has reached out to authorities regarding Darcy being found but has not yet heard back. 

Keep reading for more scary at sea occurrences… 

As a lifestyle advisor reflecting on tragic events, I can’t help but recall an incident that occurred in June 2025. A boat accident on Lake Tahoe claimed the lives of eight individuals, marking it as the most fatal maritime disaster California had seen since 2019. Among the victims were Josh Pickles, a high-ranking executive at Doordash, along with his parents Terry Pickles and Paula Bozinovic, and his uncle Peter Bayes. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division confirmed these details to ABC 7 San Francisco at the time.

The family was celebrating the 71st birthday of Pickles’ mom, who is a representative for them, as reported by the media outlet. Alongside Timothy O’Leary, James Guck, Theresa Giullari, and Stephen Lindsay, they unfortunately lost their lives in an accident. However, there were just two individuals who managed to survive.

45 individuals on a tourist submarine experienced an accident in the Red Sea near Egypt’s coastline in March 2025. Unfortunately, six Russian tourists lost their lives as confirmed by the Egyptian governorate office to NBC News. Out of the 39 survivors, nine sustained injuries, while the other 30 were safely returned to their hotels according to local officials, who also shared this information with the Associated Press.

The submarine involved in the accident was operated by Sinbad Marine Tours, a company specializing in underwater leisure excursions at depths of 25 meters, priced at $70 per individual. In response to the incident, Sinbad Marine Tours expressed their deep condolences to the bereaved families, sharing their sorrow with them.

 

In March 2025, Kimberly Burch, the partner of Faster Pussycat band member Taime Downe, unfortunately fell from a Royal Caribbean ship themed around the ’80s off the coast of Miami. This tragic incident was confirmed by her mother, Carnell Burch, to TMZ at the time.

During a subsequent interview, Downe claimed that his fiancée’s passing was due to alcohol and prescription medication.

Downe shared during an interview on Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk in May 2025 that his grieving process has been like riding a rollercoaster. He admitted he’s managing, living one day at a time.

 

During an unexpected storm in August 2024, a luxury yacht off the coast of Sicily went under, carrying a crew of 10 and 12 passengers. Tragically, six lives were lost in this disaster, among them were tech CEO Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah, attorney Christopher Morvillo from New York along with his wife Neda, as well as Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife Judy.

It was later ascertained that the mishap was due to a phenomenon known as a “waterspout,” which is similar to a tornado but happens over the sea. Salvo Cocina, leader of Sicily’s civil protection department, stated at the time of the incident that the vessel found itself in an unfavorable location and at an inconvenient time.

Among the few who made it through the catastrophe known as Charlotte Golunski, recounted her experience with Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, stating that the storm seemed like “the apocalypse” or “the end of the world”.

In June 2023, the loss of OceanGate’s Titan submersible, a deep-sea touring vessel intended for visits to the Titanic wreckage site, was the main topic in news reports. Following a four-day search and monitoring of the sub’s 96-hour oxygen supply, it was concluded that the craft had collapsed under pressure, tragically claiming the lives of its five passengers.

The sunken ship was manned by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British entrepreneur Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, along with Titanic researcher Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Approximately one month following the collapse, OceanGate ceased all operations. In the documentary titled “Implosion: Titanic Sub Disaster,” which was published approximately two years after the incident, the events leading up to the crash were scrutinized, including negligence of safety procedures by OceanGate. Moreover, footage that the Coast Guard believes captures the moment of the collapse was made public.

In the video, Wendy Rush – who works as a director for a submersible tourism company and was observing the journey from OceanGate’s offices – heard a loud boom as the submersible reached approximately 3,300 meters below sea level. Turning to her colleague Gary Foss, she inquired, “Was that an explosion?

On a boat trip at California’s Lake Piru with her son Josey, the star of Glee, Rivera, went missing. This event sparked an extensive investigation once authorities discovered her son alone on the boat in the middle of the lake on July 8, 2020. After five days of searching, the Ventura County Sheriff’s department confirmed that Rivera’s body was found floating at the lake’s surface. Rivera’s son, whom she shared with her ex Ryan Dorsey, recounted during the investigation that they had gone swimming in the lake that day and he remembered being helped back into the boat by his mother. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub stated at a 2020 press conference that there were strong currents on the lake, particularly in the afternoon. He suggested that Rivera might have vanished around that time, possibly because their unanchored boat started drifting and she mustered enough strength to put her son back onto the boat but not herself.

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2025-07-11 18:48