Just when you think all is lost,

Leslie

Leslie

Communistrator
Staff member
Good news is always nice, eh?

A man is found alive, drifting in the sea. Awesome!!

An Acehnese man swept out to sea by the tsunami has been rescued two full weeks after the wave destroyed his home town.


Ari Afrizal had lived on makeshift rafts and a leaky fishing boat until he was spotted by an Arab container ship at midday on Sunday.

At first Mr Afrizal, 21, feared the ship's crew had not spotted him, but after passing him once it returned and plucked him from the water.

He is the third Indonesian rescued from the open water since the tsunami.

Speaking on his arrival at a Malaysian port before being taken to hospital for medical checks, Mr Afrizal told how he had given up hope of surviving his ordeal before his rescue.

"I managed to survive as I ate the flesh of old coconuts for about 12 days.

"For three days I didn't get to eat anything. I gave up all hope of living."

'I knew I was safe'

Ari Afrizal was building a house with friends in the Aceh town of Calang when the tsunami struck on 26 December. Caught up in the wave, he was first pushed inland and then sucked out to sea when the tsunami waters receded.

For 24 hours he clung to a log to survive.


Then he clambered inside a damaged wooden boat before finally settling on a raft cobbled together from floating debris.

Mr Afrizal waved repeatedly at passing ships, but none stopped for him.

When the UAE-registered al-Yamamah appeared on the horizon Mr Afrizal was determined to be seen.

"I managed to whistle at the ship and then waved my hands. The ship sped on but it sounded the klaxon and I stood up.

"I thought the ship had left the area and I sat down and cried. But the ship returned and cheered me up." he said. "I then waved at them as I knew I was safe."
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the ship returned and cheered me up. I love that! :laugh:

link
 
unclehobart said:
2 weeks without water... freaky.
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Most likely he had rain...and since he was able to cobble together a raft out of an old boat and some driftwood, he had the skills and equipment to fish. :shrug: He'd be a perfect choice for Survivor...or our little island dream.
 
Gato_Solo said:
Most likely he had rain...and since he was able to cobble together a raft out of an old boat and some driftwood, he had the skills and equipment to fish. :shrug: He'd be a perfect choice for Survivor...or our little island dream.
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Reality as opposed to Reality TV. :)
 
Survivor has little to do with surviving. They still eat better than 2/3 of the planet. Survivor is all about being a slick backstabber.
 
chcr said:
Reality as opposed to Reality TV. :)
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Most of those idiots would vote him off the show as soon as they found out who he was, though. Wouldn't want a true survivor showing them up, and snatching that million. :grinno:
 
From the three episodes that I was strongarmed to watch, it seemed that they went all out to get rid of the physically fit as they were ringers for the immunity tasks.
 
I wonder if the coconuts he was eating provide enough water to survive on alone.
 
I learned how watching this season's Survivor. The only useful information I ever learned from it, I think :lloyd: You just need a stick.
 
Wow, very cool story. After the sad stories, death tolls and horrible pictures to report, it's nice to hear a good survivor story.

But doesn't coconut give you "gastric distress" if you eat them too much?
 
I saw it, they were doin it. Hopefully I won't ever need to do it.


Does it give "gastric distress"

that would have been awful, starving yet losing all you're eating to "distress".
 
Leslie said:
I wonder if the coconuts he was eating provide enough water to survive on alone.
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Most likely. Coconuts have a rather large amount of 'milk' in them. Between 4 and 6 ounces per seed...and you can survive on 8 ounces of water per day for about 30 days...that's about when your kidneys decide they don't want to work anymore. ;)

BTW...coconuts only give gastric distress when they've been processed....also...fresh, and processed, coconut are mainly fiber. You'll take a few dumps extra, but that's not distress...that's metamucil. :grinyes:
 
I agree, it's a great story.

I read another piece on it today where they said he opened the coconuts with his teeth :alienhuh:
 
Leslie said:
I agree, it's a great story.

I read another piece on it today where they said he opened the coconuts with his teeth :alienhuh:
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Quite possible. The young coconut is fairly soft. Those brown 'bowling balls' they sell in the stores are dry. The green ones are the ones most folks in the tropics get. I've opened the young ones with a pocket knife before, so a sharpened stick isn't out of the question...nor are teeth...provided you can get some purchase on the smooth outer layer.
 
abooja said:
Ari Afrizal should be a household name, not William Hung. :disgust2:
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careful... you know how these things work now... enough grass roots chatter and the main stream media will get ahold of him and hell be throwing the first baseball pitch out by April.
 
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