Devastating reason Aussies separated from crew after boat sank off Indonesia
The heartbreaking twist comes as the search for the remaining crew member continues.
As the search continues for a crew member onboard the ill-fated boat carrying four Aussies last Sunday, the crushing reason the two groups became separated in the ocean off Indonesia has been revealed.
Elliot Foote, his girlfriend Steph Weisse and friends Will Teagle and Jordan Short were left to cling to their surfboards in open waters for 36 hours off Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, after their wooden longboat ran into rough conditions.
The damaged boat, crewed by Fifan Satrio - who remains missing - Mohammed Iqbal and Junardi Akhmad, the manager of the Pinang Island resort, where the tourists were headed, was later found drifting south of the Banyak islands.
It has now emerged Mr Satrio had not originally planned on being on the boat that day, but took the place of his father, a seasoned captain, who had fallen ill and was being treated on land.
Speaking while hooked intravenously to fluids as he continues to recover, Mr Iqbal revealed that after the group abandoned their boat, the Australians, all seasoned surfers, decided to paddle away from the Indonesians to find help.
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“The foreigners paddled very quickly but we couldn’t keep up and we had to look after Fifan,” Mr Iqbal told The Australian.
"I tried to give Fifan a lot of encouragement. I reminded him to tie his surfboard to his body so whatever happened – if he felt dizzy or passed out – he would not sink to the sea.
“I told him if he didn’t do that and he passed out, he might not be found.”
How four Australians managed to stay alive
The heartbreaking twist comes as the four Australian travellers revealed exactly how they managed to stay alive.
The Aussie skipper leading the rescue boat, Grant Richardson told A Current Affair on Thursday the group made the clever decision to drink rainwater while they waited for help.
“They were smart enough to say ‘Guys, we need to keep drinking as much as we can, while it is raining’,”
“Anything that they could take water off, even off their hair. It is incredible.”
He said their decision to grab whatever supplies they could may have been the key to their survival.
“They grabbed surfboards, wetsuits, rash tops, they were smart thinkers,” Mr Richardson said.
“A lot of people in that situation don’t think on their feet. It could have been such a different outcome.”
All four of the missing Australians and two of the Indonesian boat crew were found 36 hours after they capsized. Mr Junardi had reunited with the three surfers by the time they were found and Mr Iqbal was found five minutes later.
- With NCA News Wire
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