Haunting footage has captured the terrifying moment a missing teenager was swept off rocks at a popular beach by giant waves as his brother watched in horror.
Mehdi Habibi, 17, was last seen walking on the large rocks of Granite Island, near Victor Harbour in South Australia, on Sunday afternoon.
His distraught brother Sahil recorded on his phone the moment Mehdi was hit by the wave as the teenager tried to stand on the rock face.
“My brother told me ‘take a photo of me’ and I took his photo,” Sahil said. 7 News.
Mehdi was swept into the ocean seconds later before emergency services arrived at the scene.
Police are yet to find him two days after the horrific incident, when the family travelled from Adelaide to celebrate Father’s Day.
The brothers were at the beach for a family picnic and were wading through the water when tragedy struck.
The teenagers, originally from Afghanistan, arrived in Australia last year from Pakistan, where they were reunited with their father and other relatives.
Mehdi Habibi, 17, (pictured), was swept out to sea after being hit by giant waves while standing on rocks off Granite Island, South Australia, at around 3.15pm on Sunday.
Mehdi’s aunt, Fahima Habibi, said his parents are struggling to come to terms with what happened.
“Everyone is worried, no one is sleeping,” she said. “(Her mother) is very upset. Everyone is upset,” Habibi said. Adelaide Advertiser.
Friends and loved ones, including Mehdi’s mother, gathered on the beach on Monday as rescuers resumed search efforts.
Abdullah Fakhri, a close family friend, described Mehdi as a “loving” boy who helped his father.
Mr Fakhri said Mehdi’s family hopes he will be found soon.
“They are very devastated, very sad at this moment because they have lost a loved one,” she told the newspaper.
Mehdi’s brother Sahil captured the terrifying moment his brother was swept into the water after being hit by the giant waves (pictured)
Mehdi’s distraught younger brother Sahil (pictured) revealed that Mehdi asked him to take a photo while he was on the rocks moments before the horror unfolded.
Dangerous weather conditions and rough surf have hampered ongoing search and rescue efforts for response teams.
South Australia Police said in a statement on Monday that police and SES volunteers searched the area on foot.
“Volunteer Marine Rescue and Surf Lifesaving SA vessels are on standby,” they said.
Police Inspector Gene Vaninetti said police helicopters were also deployed. The search will resume on Tuesday.
The search for missing teenager Mehdi Habibi (pictured) will enter its third day on Tuesday
Granite Island has been closed to visitors due to ongoing rescue efforts.
The area is a popular scenic destination frequented by locals and tourists alike for hiking, fishing or enjoying the stunning views.
South Australia has been hit by extreme weather brought on by a strong cold front moving across southern parts of Australia’s east coast.
Victoria and parts of New South Wales were also hit by damaging wind gusts of more than 100km/h on Monday, producing dangerous surf conditions.
