Aldi Adilang, a 19-year-old Indonesian teenager, had the terrifying experience of being lost at sea three times. He worked from the age of 16 on a floating fishing trap called a rompong, where he spent weeks alone at sea lighting lamps to attract fish.
One day, the rope tying his rompong to the seabed broke, and he began to drift far from the coast. At first, he wasn’t too worried because he had a week’s supply of food and believed his boss would rescue him as before. However, after a week, his supplies ran out. He survived by catching fish, using parts of his hut to make fire, and filtering sea water through his clothes until it rained and he collected rainwater.
Despite his survival efforts, many ships passed without noticing him. At one point, he spoke to the captain of an Indonesian ship by walkie-talkie, but heartbreakingly, they never returned. Feeling hopeless, Aldi tried to stay positive by singing and reading, although loneliness deeply affected him.
Finally, after 49 days at sea, Aldi spotted a ship, the Arpeggio. Using the little English he knew, he called for help over the radio. The ship rescued him and took him to Japan, from where the Indonesian embassy helped him return home.
Back home, Aldi and his family decided that the risks of the job were too high, and he chose to stay safely on land from then on.