Family of missing diver ‘absolutely devastated’ after hearing news of his disappearance

The family of a Norwegian man who went missing while spear fishing off North Stradbroke Island have been told it’s ‘very unlikely’ he will be found alive.

The family of a Norwegian national who failed to resurface while free diving off North Stradbroke Island was “absolutely devastated” when they learned he was missing.

Didrik Hurum, 26, was with three friends spear fishing off Flat Rock, off Point Lookout, when he disappeared about 11am on Wednesday.

Queensland Water Police Senior-Sergeant Mitch Gray said Mr Hurum was free diving with his friend between 20-30m below sea level when he failed to resurface.

Snr Sgt Gray said he had broken the news to Mr Hurum’s family in Norway.

“I’ve been very frank with the family with what I believe occurred and it’s very unlikely that young Didrik is alive,” he said.

“But we’re not giving up - we’re out today and we’re going to be out there the following days and we’ll throw everything at it to make sure we can bring him home to his family.”

Snr Sgt Gray said Mr Hurum’s family were “absolutely devastated”.

“(The family) is absolutely devastated that their son who is only a small way through his life has potentially had his life taken away from him, albeit that he’s doing something that he loved.”

Experienced free diver Didrik Hurum. Picture: Instagram

A search and rescue team was on Thursday redeployed to the area, with water police, police divers and volunteers from Marine Search and Rescue continuing to scour the waters between Peel Island and Amity Point on the island’s northwest.

Crews worked tirelessly throughout the night for the missing diver, with the day crew taking over around 7am.

Queensland Water Police Senior-Sergeant Mitch Gray said all available resources were being used to find Mr Hurum.

“We are throwing everything at it to bring this young boy back to his family, it must be so concerning for them back home in Norway while he is missing,” Mr Gray said.

Water Police said that while conditions were difficult at times, they have been more favourable than recent search and rescue operations.

Experienced free diver Didrik Hurum has been identified as the man missing off North Stradbroke Island. Picture: Instagram

Mr Gray said there are two possibilities of what may have happened to separate Mr Hurum from his diving partner on Wednesday morning.

“One is that he released his weight belt while underwater and became disorientated, separating him from his partner. The second is that he may have had a shallow water blackout” Sen-Sgt Gray said.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Hurum was a member of the Norwegian Armed Forces until 2019 when he moved to Australia to study marine science at Griffith University.

He describes himself as someone who is “passionate about marine life and everything that is within and about the ocean”.

There have been a string of tragic events off the Brisbane coastline in recent months.

Meen Meen Chiu died off the Port of Brisbane on the weekend after slipping away from her capsized dinghy

Trent Riley, 26, remains missing after his dinghy was found abandoned in Moreton Bay in April.

Jordan Kelly, 26, also went missing in dangerous conditions on Stradbroke Island when he went for a two-hour paddle on a ski with a friend in May.