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Disappearance of Harold Holt

On 17 December 1967, Harold Holt, the 17th prime minister of Australia, disappeared while swimming in the sea near Portsea, Victoria. An enormous search operation was mounted in and around Cheviot Beach, but his body was never recovered. Holt was presumed to have drowned, and his memorial service five days later was attended by many world leaders. It is generally agreed that Holt's disappearance was a simple case of an accidental drowning, the only other plausible explanation being that he could have been attacked by a shark.

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