What was meant to be an ordinary day of work turned into a 49-day fight for survival for Aldi Adilang, a 19-year-old teen who was miraculously rescued after drifting thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean.
Aldi worked as a lamp keeper on a small wooden fishing platform off the coast of Indonesia — a job that required him to stay isolated for weeks at a time, keeping lanterns lit to attract fish. But one night, powerful winds tore the platform’s ropes free from its moorings, sweeping him far out into open water.
With no engine, no paddle, and only a small supply of food and fresh water, Aldi quickly realized he was completely alone. For the first few days, he survived on dried fish and filtered seawater through his clothes. As the days stretched into weeks, he grew weaker, his clothes tattered, and his hope fading.
He kept a journal, marking each day on a piece of driftwood, and prayed constantly for rescue. He said later, “There were times I thought I would die, but my faith kept me alive.”
After 49 days adrift — over 1,600 miles from where he started — a passing Panamanian vessel finally spotted him waving a torn cloth. The crew pulled him aboard, dehydrated and barely conscious, but alive.
When he finally returned home, his parents wept as they embraced him. The teen said simply, “I thought I would never see land again. Now, every sunrise feels like a gift.”