An incredible story happened hundreds of miles off the coast of Australia. Indonesian fishermen came to sea in distress, were able to swim to a sandy island and survived for about seven days without provisions and drinking water. The men were accidentally discovered by a patrol, rescued and are doing well.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) announced on Wednesday that the men’s boat had been hit by the violent Cyclone Ilsa last week. The tropical storm later raged in Australia’s Pilbara region. A second fishing boat sank, probably killing the nine occupants.
A fisherman from the sunken boat clung to a jerry can in the sea for 30 hours and was eventually floated to the atoll, too, rescuers said. That the men survived on Bedwell Island – a small sand island – is due to chance: On Monday, the crew of an Australian Border Force (ABF) plane discovered the stranded people during a routine inspection flight.
Camp built from wreckage
That the fishermen survived for so long is remarkable, they must have been “frightened beyond belief,” said rescue expert Gordon Watt. For protection, the men had built a small camp from the wreckage of the boat. “An incredible survival story,” noted ABC.
“Everybody Has Little Kids”
The rescued were examined at a hospital in Broome, Australia and were in surprisingly good condition, it said. On her home island of Roti off the western tip of Timor, relatives and friends had been anxiously awaiting news for days. “I know these people very well,” says one resident. “They all have young children waiting for them at home.”
Source: Krone
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