Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thanked Indonesia for finding four Australian tourists lost at sea off Sumatra as the search continues for a local crew member.
Steph Weisse, Will Teagle and Jordan Short were found floating on surfboards and Elliot Foote on a nearby island on Tuesday, more than 30 hours after the powerboat they were on capsized during a storm.
Two of three Indonesian crew members were also found.
The prime minister said he had contacted Indonesian President Joko Widodo to express thanks for the search and rescue efforts.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said Australia’s thoughts were with the family of the missing crew member.
The Australians’ rescue came after Mr. Foote broke away from the group in search of help, battling pouring rain, a strong current and hallucinations.
In footage shot shortly after his rescue, he described seeing his girlfriend and mates standing on a little island nearby.
“I was thinking, ‘oh there are my mates’ ... they’re waving and saying ’goodo',” Mr. Foote said.
“I’m paddling to that island, and I’m not making any ground.
“I’m like ‘What the hell’.”
The families also faced a nervous wait from Australia before news of their rescue filtered through.
“You just think, there’s so little we can do,” Steph’s mother, Jill Weisse, told the Seven Network.
After texts confirmed the quartet’s miraculous survival, footage emerged from their rescue boat, showing grins from ear to ear.
“We’re alive,” Steph Weisse said.
The group of Australians had been in the Banyak Islands off Sumatra to celebrate Mr. Foote’s 30th birthday.
When tossed into the ocean, the quartet were crossing from Nias to Pinang Island, an island surf retreat.
Another boat, with eight of Mr Foote’s mates, sought shelter at a small island midway before reaching Pinang and raising the alarm.
Despite the two-day ordeal, the surf will go on.
“They’re going to stay on for another 10 days and have a good time,” Elliot’s father, Peter Foote, told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
“I don’t know how he can paddle out into the water again, but he will.”
