E-Paper
Boy alive after 2 days floating on mattress
A five-year-old Indonesian boy spent two days floating at sea on a mattress to survive the tsunami that killed thousands of people.
Feeling no fear, a five-year-old Indonesian boy spent two days floating at sea on a mattress to survive the tsunami that killed thousands of people from his town and was reunited with his family on Thursday.
"Mother, mother, mother," he cried as he was rushed to his parents, older brother and younger sister at a refugee camp in Meulaboh, his home town of 40,000 people in Aceh that was one of the hardest hit in Sunday's disaster.
Wira later calmly recounted to reporters the amazing events that brought him back to his family, a rare tale of happiness in the devastated province on the island of Sumatra that has seen nearly 80,000 people killed by the flooding.
Nursing only a gash to his left leg, Wira said he was playing with his brother and two-year-old sister near his home when the waters rushed through.
According to the state Antata news agency, Wira said he held on to various floating pieces of wood while being swept away.
"I was not afraid because I am used to the sea," Wira said while massaging his wounded leg.
"As I was still holding to a door, the mattress came by so I decided to climb on it. I was not afraid, but I was cold."
Wira said he spent two days out at sea until he was found by fishermen on the lookout for bodies off the coast of Meulaboh.
