Haunting footage has captured the terrifying moment a missing teenager was swept off the rocks at a popular beach by giant waves as his brother watched on in horror.
Mehdi Habibi, 17, was last seen walking on the large rocks at Granite Island, near Victor Harbour in South Australia on Sunday afternoon.
His distraught brother Sahil recorded the moment Mehdi was struck by the wave on his phone as the teen tried to stand up on the rock surface.
‘My brother said ‘take my photo’ and I [took] his photo,’ Sahil told 7 News.
Mehdi was dragged into the ocean seconds later before emergency services were called to the scene.
Police are yet to find him two days on from the horror incident after the family travelled from Adelaide to celebrate Father’s Day.
The siblings were at the beach for a family picnic and were walking along the water when tragedy struck.
The teenagers, who are originally from Afghanistan, arrived in Australia last year from Pakistan, where they were reunited with their father and other relatives.
Mehdi Habibi, 17, (pictured) was pulled into the sea after he was struck by giant waves while he was on the rocks at Granite Island, in South Australia, around 3.15pm, on Sunday
Mehdi’s aunt Fahima Habibi said his parents are struggling to come to terms with what happened.
‘Everyone is worried, everyone is not sleeping,’ she said. ‘(His mother) is very upset. Everyone is upset,’ Ms Habibi told the Adelaide Advertiser.
Friends and loved ones, including Mehdi’s mother, gathered at the beach on Monday while rescuers resumed the search effort.
Abdullah Fakhri, who is a close family friend, described Mehdi as a ‘caring’ boy who helped his father.
Mr Fakhri said Mehdi’s family are hoping he will be found soon.
‘They are very devastated, very sad at this time because they have lost a loved one,’ e told the newspaper.
Mehdi’s brother Sahil captured the terrifying moment his brother was swept into the water after he was struck by the giant waves (pictured)
Mehdi’s distraught younger brother Sahil (pictured) revealed Mehdi asked him to take a photo while he was on the rocks just moments before the horror unfolded
Dangerous weather conditions and the choppy waves have made the ongoing search and rescue effort difficult for responders.
South Australia Police said in a statement earlier on Monday that police and SES volunteers conducted searches of the area on foot.
‘Volunteer Marine Rescue and Surf Lifesaving SA vessels are on standby,’ they said.
Police inspector Gene Vaninetti said police helicopters have also been deployed. The search will resume again on Tuesday.
The search for missing teen Mehdi Habibi (pictured) will enter its third day on Tuesday
Granite Island has been closed to visitors due to the ongoing rescue effort.
The area is a popular scenic destination frequented by locals and tourists to hike, fish or enjoy the stunning view.
South Australia has been hit by wild weather that has been brought about by a strong cold front that is moving across southern parts of Australia’s east coast.
Victoria and parts of NSW were also hit by damaging wind gusts of more than 100km/h on Monday that produced dangerous surf conditions.
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