In 1973 Scanlon and Hinde were shipwrecked on the North Malé atoll in the Maldives aboard the Whitewings, a ketch in which they had been hired as crewmembers.
[1] The Whitewings had been en route across the Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka to Réunion Island when they ran aground.
[2] The pair spent several unplanned months in the Maldives repairing the boat.
[1] However, he quickly discovered how good the surfing potential was in the northern Maldives and decided to stay in the country.
He was released in 2002 after diplomatic intervention by then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard.