Surfer’s Point is the location of the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, a perennial CT stop. Photo: WSL
The search for a missing surfer in Western Australia was finally called off Saturday due to rough conditions. The man, estimated to be in his mid 40s, went missing at Surfer’s Point in Prevelly, the surf break best known as the location of the Margaret River Pro Championship tour stop.
The man was first spotted by another surfer, who noticed him struggling in the water around 4:35 p.m. on Friday. However, due to rough conditions, the surfer was unable to reach the man to provide assistance, according to a police statement. Joey Rawson from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology told ABC News the swell was estimated to be 12 feet with light offshore winds, causing “towers of waves coming through and crashing onto shore.”
From there, authorities were called, which kicked off a full-scale rescue effort. “A number of police and emergency services were deployed to the area and a preliminary search of the water and beach area was undertaken,” explained a police spokesperson, according to the Daily Mail.
The search went on into Saturday, with local marine rescue and Jet Skis joining the effort. However, by midday, the man had still not been located and the search was called off due to rough conditions, according to ABC.
Surfer’s point is notable for being the site of the Margaret River Pro, a perennial stop on the WSL Championship Tour. Recently, the WSL and WA government announced they’d inked a deal to lock in the location’s place on the tour through 2028.
