A young Indonesian man named Aldi Novel Adilang survived harsh conditions while floating over 1,900 kilometers in a floating house. Aldi was rescued after experiencing numerous moments of equilibrium and moments of hopelessness. He then described the harrowing experience of struggling to survive at sea.
Aldi, who is 19, has a remarkable tale to tell. He was constructing a “rompong,” the locals call a floating fishing shack. In total seclusion, this cottage was anchored 125 kilometers from the coast.
Tough Work
The adolescent worked alone here for six months at a time. A radio station was the only bridge to civilization. Every week, people who arrived with their catch of fish also brought him provisions, such as a gas cylinder, water to drink, and fuel for the generator.
No one came to see him during the worst of the weather-related periods. Aldi and his pals, who were also at sea, used to tell stories around the station to pass the time.
Since starting this job two years ago, Aldi has encountered numerous precarious circumstances. Because of this, he didn’t panic on July 14 when the anchor of the floating hut failed.
Starting the nightmare
He had no notion that he was about to go on a 49-day nightmare in which he would only be able to survive by consuming raw tuna and consuming rainwater or even ocean water.
“I was calm and stress-free on the first day. I was aware that a boat would be sent to pursue me. However, I was concerned that the waves and wind would force the lifeguards to turn around,” explained Aldi.
The young man admitted that he began to feel terrified after a week had passed without being rescued. He had a barrel of water, rice, spices, coconut oil, generator fuel, and enough supplies for a month.
He engaged in tuna fishing, watching the horizon for an oncoming boat, and singing hymns during the first few weeks. He initially prepared the tuna he had caught. Later, as the fuel ran low, he began eating it raw.
Sea survival: the dawn of desperation
Aldi started counting the days passed as he drifted into the Pacific Ocean to keep track of time. But time appeared to stand still, and the young man’s desperation increased.
He admitted, “There were times I cried and considered killing myself.”
Aldi had no idea where he was or how long he would be at sea without a compass or GPS. When he ran out of water, it was one of the worst times and even more terrifying than the sharks surrounding the floating home.
To preserve some salt, Aldi soaked his clothing in the ocean and sucked the water out. He endured this for four days before it eventually started to rain.
Save
The floating shanty eventually crashed with the Panamanian cargo ship MV Arpeggio after 49 days at sea. Salvation has at last arrived.
“I began waving the towel in the air as soon as I spotted the cargo boat. The only English words I knew were “help, help!” (help, help!), and we shouted them into the radio station. They moved past me, but afterward turned around to save me, “said he.
The skipper discussed taking Aldi with representatives of the Indonesian embassy as the cargo ship was headed into Japan. The nightmare had continued for almost two months.
Finally, the young man called his family while riding the train to Tokyo.
“We were sobbing so hard that the embassy staff had to end the call. They claimed that making that much noise on a train in Japan was impolite; Aldi chuckled.
Aldi claims he has no plans to go back into the ocean after this incredible sea survival journey.
We recommend the book Forty Nine Days.
Umberto, a mysterious Hawaiian man, meets Christel, a wise Dutch woman. They are together for a passionate 49 days. Then he passes away unexpectedly. She was shocked that dad was now communicating with her via her laptop in peculiar handwriting from the dead and that she could respond. They journey together through “Bardo,” as the Tibetans refer to the transitional condition. She can feel, sense, and hear the realms he enters because she is intuitive, and in return, he correctly describes her reality on her laptop screen.
