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Indonesian teenager survives 49 days adrift at sea in 'fishing hut' | Indonesian teenager survives 49 days adrift at sea in 'fishing hut' |
(about 4 hours later) | |
An Indonesian teenager who looked after a fishing hut survived for 49 days at sea by cooking fish over wood taken from his vessel, it has emerged. | |
Aldi Novel Adilang was on the hut 125km (77 miles) off the Indonesian coast in mid-July when heavy winds caused its moorings to snap, casting the 18-year-old adrift. | |
He ended up thousands of kilometres away near Guam, where he was eventually picked up by a Panamanian vessel. | He ended up thousands of kilometres away near Guam, where he was eventually picked up by a Panamanian vessel. |
The 18-year-old, from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, worked on a "rompong" - a floating fish trap without any paddles or engine. | |
His job had been to light the rompong's lamps, which are designed to attract fish, the Jakarta Post newspaper reports. | His job had been to light the rompong's lamps, which are designed to attract fish, the Jakarta Post newspaper reports. |
The trap, which is shaped like a hut, floats in the middle of the sea but is anchored to the seabed by ropes. | The trap, which is shaped like a hut, floats in the middle of the sea but is anchored to the seabed by ropes. |
Every week, the teenager would be brought fresh supplies of food, water and fuel by someone from his company who would come to collect the fish. | Every week, the teenager would be brought fresh supplies of food, water and fuel by someone from his company who would come to collect the fish. |
'He often cried' | 'He often cried' |
On 14 July, Mr Adilang's rompong was hit by heavy winds, which caused its moorings to snap. | On 14 July, Mr Adilang's rompong was hit by heavy winds, which caused its moorings to snap. |
He only had a limited amount of supplies left, so he caught fish and cooked it by burning the rompong's wooden fences. | He only had a limited amount of supplies left, so he caught fish and cooked it by burning the rompong's wooden fences. |
It is unclear how he remained hydrated. | |
"[He] said he had been scared and often cried while adrift," Fajar Firdaus, an Indonesian diplomat in Osaka, Japan, told The Jakarta Post. | "[He] said he had been scared and often cried while adrift," Fajar Firdaus, an Indonesian diplomat in Osaka, Japan, told The Jakarta Post. |
"Every time he saw a large ship, he said, he was hopeful, but more than 10 ships had sailed past him. None of them stopped or saw [him]." | "Every time he saw a large ship, he said, he was hopeful, but more than 10 ships had sailed past him. None of them stopped or saw [him]." |
His mother told the news agency AFP how she learned of her son's disappearance. | |
"His boss told my husband that he went missing," Net Kahiking said. "So we just surrendered to God and kept praying hard." | |
On 31 August, Mr Adilang sent an emergency radio signal upon seeing the MV Arpeggio nearby. He was picked up by the Panamanian vessel off the waters of Guam. | On 31 August, Mr Adilang sent an emergency radio signal upon seeing the MV Arpeggio nearby. He was picked up by the Panamanian vessel off the waters of Guam. |
The captain of the vessel contacted the Guam coast guard, who instructed the crew to take him to Japan, the ship's destination, according to a statement from the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka's Facebook page. | The captain of the vessel contacted the Guam coast guard, who instructed the crew to take him to Japan, the ship's destination, according to a statement from the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka's Facebook page. |
Mr Adilang arrived in Japan on 6 September and flew back to Indonesia two days later, where he has now been reunited with his family. He is said to be in good health. | |
"He is now back at home and he will be 19 on September 30 - we're going to celebrate," his mother said. |