Aldi Novel Adilang, 19, was lost at sea for 49 days since the anchor on the fishing trap he was working on snapped. Adilang dealt with harsh winds and large waves throughout his time on the trap.

The trap placed was 125 kilometers off the northern coast of Manado in the province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Adilang’s job is to light the lamps powered by a generator to attract fish. The locals call this contraption a “rompong”.

While he was working on the rompong, strong winds caused massive waves, which resulted in the rope, attached to the anchor, to unravel. Approximately for one week, Adilang had been able to keep contact with his friends, but unfortunately, he lost communication after that week.

The rompong traveled all the way from Jakarta to the waters of Guam. On August 31, Adilang was rescued by a Panamanian vessel. Adilang was pulled out of the rompong and given blankets and water to rehydrate himself. While Adilang was at sea, he attempted to shout at boats in Indonesian but he was not getting their attention. Adilang decided to yell “help” in English, which caught the attention of the Panamanian vessel.

Adilang was examined by the Japanese Coast Guard and his health was improving greatly every single day. Officials were surprised on how quickly he recovered. After getting approval from the Indonesian Foreign affairs ministry, Adilang was able to return home in Indonesia.