‘Missing’ South African Safe & Grounded in New Zealand After Two Searches

A South African expat in New Zealand, Darius DeWet, has spoken today about the circumstances which led to authorities believing he was missing, and a national rescue effort being launched as coastguards searched the ocean for him… twice!

Twenty-year-old Darius, who is currently grounded in Whakatane, told local journalists that he had had no idea anyone was looking for him and that he had caused so much trouble and concern.

He thought his solo sailing trip was going along just fine, unaware that his lack of communication with a friend on land – to whom he had said he would be in touch with daily – had caused such a commotion.

Darius spotted the search aircrafts but thought the first was just flying past. “I saw someone taking a photo and I waved. I thought it would be a nice picture from up there.”

When he spotted the second – an air force helicopter – he thought it was on a training exercise.

According to reports, Darius was a beginner with only one day’s experience of sailing before he embarked on a trip last week from Napier to Auckland in his newly acquired 6.7m yacht, Luna.

Darius, who is originally from Gansbaai in the Western Cape and attended Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale, said he was unable to check in with his friend because the battery on his boat went flat after the first night.

He said it was a “bit of a surprise” when a coastguard met him the first time at Whanarua Bay.

The Bay of Plenty Times in New Zealand reported that the South African youngster was given a handheld radio and led to another bay the following morning by a crayfish boat… but Darius decided to anchor there and swim to shore because he “missed the land”… and after meeting up with some locals, eating sushi, camping and shooting with a newfound friend… he didn’t keep the handheld radio on him and the coastguard had to go find him again on Sunday.

DeWet didn’t want to “bother anyway” or “be in trouble again” and had thought he only needed to turn the radio on when he anchored again.

This time Maritime New Zealand insisted on towing him to Whakatane and he now has to meet certain safety criteria before he’ll be allowed to finish his journey.

DeWet will not have to pay any of the search operation costs as that could deter others from seeking urgent help.

Read more details here.