The first text message a surfer sent to his father after being rescued from the ocean off Indonesia has been revealed as a dramatic search comes to an end.
Australian surfers Elliot Foote, Steph Weiss, Jordan Short, and Will Teagle were found floating on surfboards after their boat went missing in bad weather.
The group vanished after their charter boat failed to return from a remote island off North Sumatra on Sunday.
Elliot Foote’s father, Peter, confirmed the news on Tuesday after three of the group were rescued from the remote islands.
Moments after talking to Sky News, Mr Foote received a message form his son confirming he had also been rescued.
‘Hey Dad, Elliot here. I am alive, safe now, love you. Chat later,’ Elliot texted his father on another person’s phone.
Elliot Foote and Steph Weisse went missing after their boat disappeared off Indonesia. Picture: Supplied
The father, from Sydney’s eastern suburbs, said his son had paddled off alone to look for help on an island before he was found.
The dad praised the work of emergency services, including an Australian who lives in the area and aided in the search.
He told Sky News the man had wanted assurance before calling off the search, before revealing his son’s next move.
‘Elliot will make his way back to the island, they (the group) will regroup and get healthy, and probably have a great night tonight,’ he said.
Asked how badly he wanted to see his son, Mr Foote said: ‘ I don’t really need to see him as long as I know he’s alive.
‘I can’t wait to talk to him, what an adventure he’s having, what a story to tell.
‘He’s got 10 days to go, so he’s in the best place. They love it, it’s paradise.
‘As long as I can talk to him, he doesn’t have to come home.’
Picture of a wooden charter boat similar to what four Australian surfers and three Indonesian crew members were travelling on. Picture: Supplied.
A Google document used by the four families and seen by The Daily Telegraph was updated to read: ‘All four Australians found alive’.
The four friends were reportedly found by rescuers floating on surfboards in waters off Indonesia’s western-most islands.
The group had been on a birthday surfing trip and were travelling on a longboat to Banyak Island near Banda Aceh when they hit bad weather.
A search operation was launched on Monday, with Indonesian authorities among those looking for the missing boat.
A day earlier, Mr Foote, from Northern NSW, wrote on Instagram that it was ‘so good’ to be back in Indonesia.
‘Soho gulah Sorake … so good being back in Indo after so many years. Sharing waves with mates and the queen,’ Mr Foote wrote.
‘Starting the trip off with hiking in the North Sumatran jungle and seeing Orangutan’s was an amazing experience and something that I look forward to doing again for a longer time and going deeper.
‘Bukit Lawang is a beautiful spot with such kind people.’
The message was adjoined by photos of Mr Foote surfing alongside his partner, Ms Weisse.
Australian and Indonesian search crews were dispatched on Monday to try and find the group, who are all from NSW.
Indonesian authorities, local fisherman, and a private plane chartered for by the Australian government scanning the waves.
The search effort, which is also looking for three Indonesian crewmen missing from the boat, was called off at sunset.
Dad not giving up hope
Mr Foote remained optimistic on Monday morning despite there being no sign of the group.
‘Apparently they have food and water on the boat and the boat has a roof so it should be all right,’ he Nine News on Tuesday morning before the group was found.
‘But it hasn’t got electronic stuff: no navigation stuff, no communication stuff (…) IPERBs, GPS.’
Mr Foote, from Sydney’s eastern suburbs doubted the boat had capsized and believes they likely ran out of fuel.
He urged cooperation between Australian and Indonesia authorities.
‘Maybe they need to expand the area if they would have drifted,’ he said.
‘This morning they will ramp up and we will get them back soon.
Missing Australians Steph Wies, left, with Jordan Short, Elliot Foote, and Will Teagle. Picture: Supplied
‘I just hope we can get some eyes in the sky, there are a lot of islands.’
Mr Foote said the news of his son’s disappearance was ‘pretty tough’.
‘You feel it physically, in the stomach, everywhere,’ he said.
‘It is really painful. Anyone who has been through it will know and understand.
‘I haven’t felt like this before. My heart is aching. It is just terrible.’
Mr Foote said he hoped Australian authorities could ‘expedite’ the delivery of aircraft for the search.
They joined local fishing vessels and charter boats which were aiding Indonesia authorities.
Mr Foote said the surfing community had also ‘come together’ to aid in the desperate search.
‘It is going to be a long, long day for them,’ he said.
‘I don’t know how long their supplies are going to last for.
‘The sooner the better, really. Every minute counts.’
Birthday adventure turns to disaster
The group of 12 Australians in total had been travelling in Sumatra and on the island of Nias to celebrate Mr Foote’s 30th birthday.
On Instagram, Mr Foote shared details and photos of the groups travels, including to the popular nature park Bukit Lawang.
Elliot Foote wrote on Instagram hours before his boat disappeared he that it was ‘good’ to be back in Indonesia. Picture: Instagram
Elliot Foote and three others were in Indonesia for a 30th birthday trip. Picture: Instagram
Setting off got Banyak Island, the group of 12 are understood to have separated onto two boats.
One boat took refuge on Sarang Alu, an island between the two the group were travelling between on Sunday.
The eight tourists on board arrived safely at their destination on Sunday night.
The other, containing the four missing people, is understood to have opted to have continued travelling.
Previously, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the Australian families had been informed of the search.
‘A search and rescue operation is underway following reports of a missing vessel off the west coast of Indonesia,’ the spokesman said.
The photos reveal an interaction with orangutans, which Mr foote described as ‘amazing’. Picture: Instagram
Mr Foote also posted images from a trip to a nature reserve in Sumatra. Picture: Instagram
‘The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the families of four Australians on-board.
‘It is working closely with Indonesian authorities to support search and rescue efforts.
‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those missing during this distressing time.’
Mr Foote described the group as ‘resilient, resourceful kids’, and said he was ‘hoping for a call anytime.’
His son Elliot , who is a carpenter, is a former Scots College student.
He recently moved to Murwillumbah in northern NSW to be with Ms Weisse.
The elder Mr Foote had paid for his son to go on the fateful trip to Indonesia with his 11 ‘best mates’.
Jordan Short (left) is one of four Australian’s missing after their charter boat failed to return to Indonesia. Picture: Instagram
The group were all high school friends from Sydney and surfing mates from northern NSW.
In a statement released through DFAT, the families of the four Aussies said they hoped to hear good news soon.
‘Our hearts are aching at the thought that Elliot, Steph, Will and Jordan are missing at sea,’ the four families said.
‘We continue to pray and hold out hope they will be found.
‘We’d like to thank the Indonesian authorities and the Australian government for their ongoing assistance while search efforts continue.
‘We ask that the media respect the privacy of our family and friends during this distressing time.’
Mr Teagle’s sister Amy took to social media on Monday asking anyone who might be travelling in the area to offer assistance in the search.
‘My brother and three of his mates are missing,’ Ms Teagle said.
‘Please if you know anyone in Sumatra that can offer any assistance let me know.’
Missing Australian Will Teagle. Picture: Supplied
Local authorities scrambling to find missing boat
Speaking to the media on Monday, Indonesian National Search and Rescue agency Nias Island chief Octavianto said search teams had been dispatched to find those missing.
‘Last night the Pinang Resort reported that a speedboat with 10 passengers had arrived in Pinang Island (at about 10.18pm local time), while another speedboat with seven people on board had not arrived yet,’ he said.
‘We’ve deployed three ships … and they are now moving towards the location for search and rescue. However, the issue is that the (missing vessel) is a basic wooden boat without any tracking devices or the like.’
Poor weather and visibility have hindered the ability of search parties to locate the missing Aussies.
The search follows a string of high-profile incidents involving Australians, particularly in Indonesia’s restive Aceh province.
Noosa man Bodhi Risby-Jones was asked to pay $61,000 to the families of people involved in alleged drunken rampage on Simeulue Island.
The island is likewise located off the western Sumatra coast nearby to where the four Australians disappeared on Sunday.
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