UPDATE 10.22am:
The 19-year-old surfer Darcy Deefholts has been found alive on North Solitary Island this morning, 13 km out to sea from where he went missing near Wooli yesterday afternoon.
Having returned by rescue boat, he is now receiving medical treatment. Searchers included community volunteers, Marine Rescue NSW, and NSW Police, including helicopter and drone support.
MORE UPDATES as they become available.
***EARLIER: Volunteer crews from Marine Rescue Wooli and Coffs Harbour are this morning continuing the search for a missing 19-year-old male surfer off One Tree Trail, on the state’s Mid North Coast.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector John Murray said Marine Rescue NSW vessel Wooli 30 was tasked by the NSW Police Marine Area Command just before 10pm last night (9 July).
‘A volunteer crew was rapidly assembled and Wooli 30 deployed. The crew searched waters from Bare Point in the north to Freshwater Beach in the south. Conditions were favourable offshore.
‘Wooli 30 returned to base at 1am after being stood down for the night,’ Inspector Murray said.
Search continues
Wooli 30 and Coffs Harbour 30 returned to the water at 8am this morning to continue the search.
‘The volunteer crews will conduct search patterns under the direction of Marine Area Command,’ said Inspector Murray. ‘Conditions offshore are again favourable this morning,’
The missing boy’s father, Grafton real estate agent Terry Deefholts, made an appeal for public assistance on social media this morning, saying: ‘HELP – I NEED BOATS, BEACH WALKERS, DRONES AND 4WDs and PLANES AT FIRST LIGHT.
‘My boy Darcy is still missing. Marine Rescue searched tonight from Bare Point to Pebbly Beach at sea. They have been stood down for the night but expect they will be back early to resume the search.
‘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 some time around 4pm. We think he was wearing a dark rashy.
‘Of course we are fearing the worst,’ said Mr Deefholts.
‘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.’
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