KUCHING: Syahrudin, a 37-year-old Indonesian fisherman from Subi Island, survived a few gruelling days adrift in the South China Sea, facing cloudy skies and towering waves, relying on his experience, determination, and the drive to return to his family.
He recounted the ordeal in a phone interview, describing dwindling fuel and a GPS breakdown that left him uncertain of his location.
Indonesian Consul General in Kuching, Abdullah Zulkifli, expressed gratitude for the swift response: “I would like to thank the Malaysian Government, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak, Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kuching, and especially the people of Kampung Telaga Air who first saw the Indonesian sailor.”
Syahrudin left Subi Island on Nov 30, expecting a routine fishing trip. On the third day at sea, strong waves began battering his small wooden vessel.
Despite sufficient food and water, fuel began to run low, intensifying his anxiety.
After six days at sea, his GPS malfunctioned, forcing him to rely entirely on the sun.
“I looked for the sun to plot my direction, but there was none because it was foggy and cloudy. I began to worry about my wife and three children, aged three to twenty,” he said.
“I became worried when fuel was running low, and I could not find the direction I had to take.”
From Subi Island, the boat drifted around 96 nautical miles across the South China Sea, eventually reaching Sarawak.
Syahrudin credited his two decades of fishing experience for keeping him calm and determined.
“My experience and my determination to be back home kept my spirit high despite the strong waves and being lost at sea,” he said.
After 10 days at sea, the lights at a Kuching jetty on Wednesday guided him safely to shore.
“When I arrived at the jetty, I did not know where I was. My fear was that I would be arrested and my boat seized,” he said.
He received assistance from local authorities and the Indonesian Consulate General, which had refilled his vessel with 500 litres of fuel, food, and water for the return journey.
“I thank the Malaysian authorities, the locals and the Indonesian consulate general for their generosity and assistance in making my safe return possible,” Syahrudin said.
After arriving in Kuching, he called his wife. “I told her I miss all of you. I long to return home and asked if they had eaten,” he said. His family had feared he might have been detained at sea.
Syahrudin said he will be heading back to Subi Island on Monday, despite cloudy weather, with a repaired GPS system, and expects the journey to take three days.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
