Teen survives 49 days lost at sea in a wooden boat after drifting 1,200 miles
Published on Oct 13, 2025 at 7:36 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Oct 13, 2025 at 7:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
This brave teen survived 49 days lost at sea in a wooden boat after drifting 1,200 miles, and he was only 19 years old.
Imagine being stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no food, no fresh water, and nothing but your wits to keep you alive.
That’s exactly what happened to Aldi Novel Adilang, a teenager from Indonesia who spent over a month and a half adrift at sea before being rescued.
He was meant to be working on a small wooden floating fishing hut anchored miles off the coast of Indonesia, but when strong winds snapped its mooring rope, he became lost at sea.
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How he survived 49 days lost at sea in a wooden boat
Aldi was working on a rompong, a small wooden floating fishing hut.
On July 14, 2018, strong winds snapped its mooring rope, sending it and him drifting towards Guam.
Supplies ran out in just a few days, so Aldi had to get creative by fishing daily to eat, and drinking seawater filtered through his t-shirt.
He even had to burn wood from his hut to cook and signal for help, and he compared the experience to a real-life version of Life of Pi.
He was rescued after drifting 1,200 miles
More than ten ships in total passed him by, without noticing his desperate waves for help, Aldi nearly gave up all hope completely, but he found strength in daily prayers and the Bible he kept on board.
On the 49th day, Aldi spotted a massive tanker, the MV Arpeggio, and managed to radio a simple cry for help.
His heart sank when the tanker first sailed past, but then it turned around.
He battled huge waves when he swam towards the crew, who finally pulled him to safety.
After a stop in Japan for medical care, Aldi was flown back to Indonesia, and although he had worked on the sea hut for three years, he vowed never to return.
His employer admitted this wasn’t the first time the rompong had broken free, sparking calls for better safety gear like GPS and radios for young fishers who spend their lifestyle at sea.
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Daisy Edwards is a Content Writer at supercarblondie.com. Daisy has more than five years’ experience as a qualified journalist, having graduated with a History and Journalism degree from Goldsmiths, University of London and a dissertation in vintage electric vehicles. Daisy specializes in writing about cars, EVs, tech and luxury lifestyle. When she's not writing, she's at a country music concert or working on one of her many unfinished craft projects.
