Australia
“This is an incredible survival story”
And when Hurricane Elsa moved towards Australia last week, it also capsized fishing boats. Eleven Indonesians save themselves on a small sandy island – far from civilization.
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Eleven fishermen survived six days without water or food on a deserted sandy island hundreds of kilometers off the west coast of Australia.
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Hurricane Elsa hit your boat.
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The fishermen were found in surprisingly good condition. It was pure luck that they survived.
On Wednesday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) announced that 11 fishermen and their boats were hit by violent Hurricane Elsa last week. They survive on an uninhabited island hundreds of miles off the west coast of Australia. The men, originally from Indonesia, survived six days without food and water.
The tropical storm later broke out in the Pilbara region of Australia. The Australian broadcaster ABC quoted Indonesian rescue services as saying that a second fishing boat sank, with all nine people on board likely dead.
Rescuers said a fisherman from the sunken boat clung to a package at sea for 30 hours and was eventually brought to the atoll. The fact that the men survived on Bidwill Island – a tiny sandy island – is due to serendipity: On Monday, the crew of an Australian Border Force (ABF) aircraft spotted the people stranded during a routine inspection flight.
“An incredible survival story”
Finally, a helicopter was sent to the island from the coast. Rescue expert Gordon Watt said the fact that the fishermen had survived so long was remarkable, and they must have been “unimaginably scared”. For protection, the men set up a small camp from the wreckage of the boat. ABC commented, “It’s an incredible survival story.”
The rescued people were said to have been examined at a hospital in Broome, Australia and are in surprisingly good condition. On her home island of Roti off the western tip of Timor, relatives and friends have been anxiously awaiting news for days. “I know these people very well,” said one of the residents. “They all have young children waiting for them at home.”
Bidwill Island is part of Rowley Shoals, a group of three coral reefs that look like atolls. The very remote area is largely untouched. Politically, the coral reef belongs to Australia.
The fishermen survived on an uninhabited island hundreds of miles off the western coast of Australia.
France Press agency
The men, originally from Indonesia, survived six days without food and water.
France Press agency
The hurricane reached a peak wind of 288 kilometers per hour, thus setting a new wind speed record.
Twitter/Met Office
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