Aceh rescue: Surfers reveal new details of frantic moments before boat capsizes

The surfers who were lost for 37 hours in the waters off Aceh have revealed their survival story after their boat suddenly capsized and filled with water | WATCH

The four Australians that were lost at sea of Aceh after their boat went down in rough weather. They are seen here giving a combined statement of thanks to everyone involved in their search and rescue. (L-R) Steph Weisse, Elliot Foote, Will Teagle and Jordan Short .

One of four Australian surfers lost for 37 hours in the waters off the coast of Aceh has revealed the frantic moments before their boat capsized, with the friends scrambling onto the roof of the vessel as it filled with water.

New videos have emerged of Steph Weisse, Elliot Foote, Will Teagle and Jordan Short more than a day after they were discovered floating on their surfboards by Australian Grant Richardson, who spent the night sailing his yacht, the Sea Mi Amor, searching for the missing mates.

In one video the four friends appear together on land as they thank their friends, family and the Australian and Indonesian governments for rescuing them.

The friends look tired as they sit on a log on the beach, the jungle behind them.

Mr Foote said there were moments when the four felt “quite nervous” but said they banded together and operated as a unit.

“We’re really happy to be back on land now, dry, hydrated, fed, back with our friends,” he said.

“I Just wanted to say thank you so much to the Australian government and the Indonesian government for banding together, pulling through in the rescue effort that went out there last couple of days.

“Massive thanks to our friends here on the island.

“They did such an amazing job … to pull through, to not stop searching the whole time and there were some moments out there [when] we were quite nervous and didn’t quite know what the outcome was going to be but we just banded together.

“[I] couldn’t be happier having these three with me. They‘re all so strong and every single moment they just knew what to do and we just took charge and followed each other and there [were] no arguments ever we were just strong as a unit.”

The four were among a party of 12 Australians travelling north on Sunday in two wooden longboats from Nias Island, off the western coast of Sumatra, to Aceh’s Banyak Islands when a storm swept through.

The island trip was a birthday present from Mr Foote’s father, Peter, to his son.

In another video, Mr Foote appears animated as he details how he sprang into action as their boat filled with water and he started grabbing water, torches and surfboard bags that the four used as flotation devices.

“When the first one [wave] came in Jordie’s [Jordan Short] like all right guys this could be serious,” he said in the video recorded shortly after he was brought to shore, the sound of a boat’s motor can be heard in the background.

“I was like all right sweet, grab me that, grab me something warm, grab me my knife, grab me this.

“We all started grabbing shit.”

Mr Foote says he grabbed Ms Weisse, his partner of 20-months, before pulling her out of the boat while Mr Teage dived from the waterlogged vessel and Mr Short ran to the front of the boat.

“I was like everybody get the f..k out now,” he said.

Elliot Foote after he was rescued from the water. Picture: Supplied

Australian Grant Richardson - the skipper of the boat that took part in locating and rescuing the seven people lost at sea in the waters off Aceh.

“I jumped down, grabbed Steph, pulled her out, she had a life jacket.

“Will dived out, Jordie ran to the front of the boat.

“The boat started going like this and Jordie’s reaching into board bags and I’m going get the board bags, get the board bags.

“Me and Will climb back up on the front. And we’re all ripping board bags out as many as we could.”

In a third video the captain who found the friends, Australian captain Grant Richardson, said he felt “absolutely elated” after the rescue and everyone had been found safe.

“It was a co-ordination between all parties involved to be able to bring them back safely but mainly their own mates bonded together brought that information in a group and really brought into a successful return,” he said.

“They co-ordinated with the Australian government, the Indonesian government [was] also onboard and it was just lucky we were there to be able to support these guys.

“It’s a great outcome for everyone so thumbs up.”

Indonesian search and rescuers continued to scour waters between the Banyak islands and Aceh’s northwestern shoreline on Tuesday for missing Indonesian boatman Fifan Satria

The crew member was the seventh person on board the boat that sank on Sunday night and the only one not to have been rescued.

In the first video, Mr Foote said his thoughts were with the missing man’s friends and family.

“He’s still out there and you know, it‘s hard to think about and we just hope the best for him and his family and friends in his village,” he said.

Mr Foote said the four just wanted privacy and time to recover after their time at sea.

“We just want to recover, it‘s been a crazy 37 hours,” he said.

“It was only like 25 hours or something when we kind of got on land so we’d just love to get privacy and be able to be respected and not have to deal with any media obligations or anything for the next little bit of time and just be able to recover and let our bodies heal and have some rest.

“We’d really appreciate that and thank you to everybody involved.”