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On 17 December 1967, Harold Holt—at that time the Prime Minister of Australia—decided to go for a swim. He and his traveling companions were passing near Cheviot Beach, one of Prime Minister Holt’s long-time favorite swimming and snorkeling locations. The water was a little rough that day, but Holt was a strong swimmer, and he dove into the ocean with confidence. As he swam away from the beach, his companions ashore watched as a current dragged him out to sea “like a leaf.” They called out to him, but he did not respond or show distress. However he soon slipped under the waves and out of sight. His friends sent out an alarm.
The people of Australia mounted one of the largest search operations in the history of their country—consisting of police, Royal Australian Navy divers, Royal Australian Air Force helicopters, Army personnel, and local volunteers. Nevertheless, neither the prime minister nor any clue about his fate were ever found. Australia became the only country in recorded history to have permanently misplaced their head of government. At the time of his disappearance, he had been prime minister for almost two years.
Many conspiracy theories arose regarding the disappearance, including CIA assassination, defection to China via submarine, and suicide, but no evidence has ever been found to support these speculations.
Today, a commemorative plaque marks the approximate spot of his disappearance, attached to a reef under 50 feet of water. The Harold Holt Swim Centre in Melbourne was named in his honor.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this curio misstated that the Prime Minister of Australia is the ‘head of state’ rather than ‘head of government’.
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Yes a new one thanks :)
I recall reading about this incident many years ago.
Did no one consider sharks or other creatures eating his body?
So you know, we Australians are also slightly confused about the rational behind naming a pool after a drowning victim.
But you get that.
This was a couple of years before I was born, but my parents remember it well.
I was definitely a huge shock for the nation. He was a well liked Prime Minister at the time. (by most)
Level headed Australians thought that simple drowning or shark attack was the most likely cause, but a lot of people at the time had trouble believing that the Prime Minister could simply drown and the fact that the body was never recovered was when the conspiracy theories started to become a popular topic of discussion while having a cold beer over the Christmas break soon after he vanished.