‘My heart is shattered’: Search for Adelaide teenager swept off rocks at Granite Island ends

The family of an Adelaide teenager presumed drowned at a popular South Australian tourist location have spoken of their anguish, as emergency services ended their efforts to find him.

Mehdi Habibi, 16, was swept into the ocean while scaling rocks at Granite Island near Victor Harbor to take a photo on September 1.

He had been celebrating Father’s Day with his family, originally from Afghanistan, when he was washed into the sea in an area known for drownings.

South Australia Police ended a search on Wednesday evening after 10 days of unsuccessfully trying to locate Mehdi.

Mehdi’s father, Sayed, said he would continue to go to Victor Habor, about 84km from Adelaide, for the foreseeable future in the hopes of recovering his son.

“I have to, what else am I meant to do?” he said.

Mehdi’s mother was hospitalised for a few days due to stress related to her son’s disappearance.

Sayed said she hopes every day that the family travel to Victor Harbor that they will have good news.

“She’s up and down (emotionally), it is very hard, she’s a mother,” he said.

“I don’t like to work, I can’t do anything, I’m just pacing up and down the area he was last seen.

“My heart is shattered when we end the day and he isn’t found.”

The family are refugees who fled the Baghlan province of Afghanistan in 1998 while the country was under Taliban rule.

They lived in Pakistan for some time, where Mehdi was born, then arrived by boat on Christmas Island in 2010.

But if was only in 2023 that they were approved to come to Australia, where Sayed said he had high hopes his family would have a better life.

Mehdi was due to celebrate his birthday just a week after he went missing in the ocean.

“We were so happy, (we) would have a good life, the children can study,” Sayed said of the family finally arriving in Australia.

“Mehdi said ‘I want to study, go to TAFE and become an electrician and better my life’.”

Sayed said Mehdi was an “amazing” son who after school each day would help run the family store on Prospect Rd before going home and doing his homework.

“This is God’s plan, God knows better,” Sayed said.

Sayed said police who were first on scene briefly saw Mehdi’s head as the teen struggled in the water but moments later he disappeared when a big wave struck him.

The family initially could not understand why police wouldn’t dive in to rescue the teenager.

“How would they have rescued him if they wouldn’t go in the water?,” Sayed said.

However, they were told it was too risky because of the rough conditions, and that they needed to wait for the helicopter and specialist divers.

Sayed’s message now was for new arrival communities to understand the importance of water safety and take signs around the beach seriously.

An online fundraiser has been set up to help Mehdi’s family.