An Indonesian teenager who was lost at sea for seven has spoken of his relief after finally being reunited with his family.
18-year-old Aldi Novel Adilang drifted for thousands of kilometres after his fishing hut broke free from its moorings off the Indonesian coast in mid-July.
The teenager was eventually picked up near the pacific island of Guam – around 2,500km away.
He had spent the last two years working as a lamplighter on the floating hut - known as a ‘rompong’ - 125km out to sea.
He was paid €110 per month to keep the lamps lit on the trap in order to attract fish – with the trap’s owner visiting him once a week to bring supplies like water, food and fuel.
Aldi Novel Adilang (19), penjaga lampu di rompong (rumah rakit di lautan) hanyut terbawa arus mid Juli 2018 sampai perairan Guam ketika berada di perairan 125 km dari pesisir utara Manado. Aldi ditemukan oleh kapal berbendera Panama, M.V. Arpeggio, 31 Agustus 2018 @Kemlu_RI pic.twitter.com/GA3LkS0zaw
— 在大阪インドãƒã‚·ã‚¢å…±å’Œå›½ç·é ˜äº‹é¤¨ (@kjriosaka) September 14, 2018
KJRI Osaka telah menjemput Aldi pada 6 September 2018 di Tokuyama, Prefektur Yamaguchi, Jepang setelah kapal bersandar guna memastikan Aldi dalam kondisi baik dan selanjutnya mengawal hingga ia mendapat izin kepulangan ke Indonesia dari otoritas imigrasi Jepang @Kemlu_RI pic.twitter.com/S8SKF8Ua2w
— 在大阪インドãƒã‚·ã‚¢å…±å’Œå›½ç·é ˜äº‹é¤¨ (@kjriosaka) September 14, 2018
Pada 8 September 2018, KJRI Osaka telah mendampingi kepulangan Aldi ke Manado dengan Garuda Indonesia melalui Tokyo. Saat ini Aldi telah berkumpul dengan keluarganya di Wori, Manado, dan dalam keadaan sehat @Kemlu_RI pic.twitter.com/kMNjaxq8pA
— 在大阪インドãƒã‚·ã‚¢å…±å’Œå›½ç·é ˜äº‹é¤¨ (@kjriosaka) September 14, 2018
He told local media that his hut broke free from its moorings due to strong friction caused by rough seas in mid-July.
He said he ran out of food a week a week later and survived by catching fish and straining seawater through his clothing.
He said at least 10 ships passed him by as he attempted to attract their attention by lighting lamps and using a hand-held radio.
Eventually the Panamanian-flagged ship MV Arpeggio stopped to rescue him on August 31st.
He was brought to the Indonesian mission in Osaka, Japan where he received medical treatment before being reunited with his parents in Manado, Indonesia.
