Haunting final image of kayaker before he vanished at sea makes return
The perilous expedition had never been successfully attempted before, but fearless Andrew McAuley set out on his own on the Pacific Ocean, and only his legacy and kayak remain
A chilling photo of a kayaker who vanished at sea in 2007 has re-emerged on Reddit which captures his last moments.
Adventure-lover Andrew McAuley set out to be the first person to kayak between Australia and New Zealand through the dangerous Tasman Sea. But the 38-year-old's month-long endeavour was cut short after he disappeared into the Pacific Ocean.
Australian-born McAuley had already established himself as a talented daredevil after becoming the first person to kayak the choppy Bass Strait in 2003. Completing the 136 mile feat in just 25 hours, he decided to take on an even tougher challenge, that would be his last.
In the picture, originally recovered in 2007, a tired McAuley is seen in a close-up selfie with gigantic waves rising behind him. The father-of-one is covered in sunscreen, with his hair plastered to his forehead.
The photograph was discovered when McAuley's capsized and abandoned kayak was identified after a two-day search, 50 miles offshore from New Zealand. Although his body has never been found, the authorities did locate Andrew's camera, with its memory card intact.
Around the same time the photo was captured, Andrew also recorded an unsettling video message foreshadowing his fate. In the video, the Australian reportedly worries: "I may have bitten off more than I can chew."
Then, just days before reaching land, reports show the adventurer sent a muddled distress call to the New Zealand Coast Guard, with only the words "help" and "sinking" identified. This call for help triggered the two-day search that pinpointed Andrew's belongings.
The Sydney Morning Herald alleged Andrew may have drowned while asleep in his kayak. However, without discovering his body, the truth is impossible to find.
Director of the expedition and providing weather predictions, Veteran sailor Jonathan Borgais, said: "From the beginning, my biggest concern was the approach to New Zealand. And this part of New Zealand is notoriously dangerous.
"On a good day, you can get rogue waves: a two- or three-metre set that can come out of nowhere. Not big, but powerful. That's very dangerous. I have no doubt that a wave got him."
Andrew McAuley is survived by his wife and son.
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