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April 20, 2026 \u2014 9:22am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n All day and all night, two divers were stranded in the ocean off the south-east Queensland coast with no life raft and only their twin air tanks and each other to cling to.<\/p>\n Daniel Fitzgerald, a 45-year-old technical diving instructor, and his student, 43-year-old Stu Fillman, left North Stradbroke Island in a group of four on Saturday morning for the Flat Rock dive site, kilometres north of Point Lookout.<\/p>\n But only two divers returned to the boat after strong currents pulled Fitzgerald and Fillman away from the site.<\/p>\n The pair drifted 25 kilometres from the boat.<\/p>\n A massive search and rescue operation began at 10.30am, about two hours after the divers entered the water.<\/p>\n It was called off overnight, leaving the pair to cling to their air tanks and rely on their dry suits to keep them warm.<\/p>\n Then, just before 7am on Sunday, an Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger jet spotted the men drifting about seven kilometres off Main Beach on the Gold Coast.<\/p>\n The aircraft dropped a life raft to the pair before Water Police and the Westpac Rescue helicopter arrived.<\/p>\n \u201cBoy, are we glad to see you guys,\u201d one of the drivers said as the Water Police boat reached them.<\/p>\n They were winched to safety almost 24 hours after entering the water, both relieved and in remarkably good condition.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could see the weight come off their shoulders and think, \u2018Thank god you\u2019re here\u2019,\u201d Westpac rescue crewman Alex Carroll told Nine News.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously my first question was, \u2018How did you end up here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Acting Sergeant Matt Boswell said it was a relief to find the two men safe and well.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great outcome,\u201d the officer in charge of the Dunwich police station said.<\/p>\n \u201cWater conditions were pretty rough \u2026 and obviously, just being out in the ocean for so long, the exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n Fitzgerald said he was spending time with his family at home after the dramatic rescue, while Fillman thanked those who saved them.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you … to our emergency services teams in aircraft, on the water, or on land for turning this into a happy ending,\u201d he told Nine News.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n with AAP<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5924ada4f32b7fd3fefdc5ce26113f04b2d2d5108c3736be7562a4defe03a8b7.jpeg\")
An image of the pair\u2019s rescue off the Gold Coast.Queensland Police<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3a4341fb98de30e1bbd37cb6b189013850ef9f2925fac08e8441bccd58ccf25b.jpeg\")
The AMSA aircraft dropped a life raft down to the pair.Queensland Police<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6f650b780b5a00f7838c6829e1e0e3d093174b387c21d3d35970352d274d2eb9.jpeg\")
An image of the men in the life raft. AMSA<\/p>\n