Indonesian teen survives 49 days adrift without paddle, but with Bible
FOX NEWS An Indonesian teenager, who worked on a floating fish trap 80 miles off the country's coast, survived 49 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean with only a Bible, limited rations and a small radio, reports said Monday.
Strong winds during a July storm reportedly snapped the lines keeping Aldi Novel Adilang, a 19-year-old lamp keeper, moored in place. He was helpless and floated off without even a paddle.
“Aldi said he had been scared and often cried when adrift. Every time he saw a large ship, he said he was hopeful, but more than 10 ships had passed him, none of them stopped,” Fajar Firdaus, a diplomat, said, according to reports.
Aldi managed to catch fish and drink sea water through clothing in order to filter out some of the salt, The Telegraph reported.
He said through a diplomat that it was frustrating seeing ships in the distance and being unable to get their crews’ attention. He said in an interview that he thought he was going to die, and considered suicide. The Guardian reported that in his darkest times, he consulted the Bible.
He was rescued in late August near Guam, after managing to send a radio frequency to a tanker named Arpeggio on Aug. 31. A friend reportedly once gave him the small frequency radio in the event he gets lost at sea.
But The Telegraph reported that even his rescue was a challenge due to rough waves. Adilang was reportedly forced to jump into the water to reach a line from the ship.
He was taken to Japan for treatment, and reunited with family earlier this month, reports said.
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| pc: INDONESIAN CONSULATE GENERAL, OSAKA |
Read the Fox News article --->> H E R E
Last night I read in Exodus 14 of the LORD parting the Red Sea for the Israelites in order to get away from vast, mighty, angry Egyptian army which was in hot pursuit. The Israelites were told to move forward -- not to be paralyzed with fear or longing for a previous life of hopeless bondage/cruelty. I can see this situation as a picture/example of the Lord Jesus Christ's rescue of Sinners from sin and trespasses (the old, futile way of life) -- impossible by mere human effort and good works.
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