1/5/2005: Tsunami survivor
 

http://cellar.org/2004/tsunamisurvivor.jpg

Someone noticed that there hadn't been one image of the tsunami on IotD. That's on purpose. I've seen a lot of images - a TON of them really. But none has been IotD-worthy. Most of them are pretty sick and the point of IotD, to me, is to be mind-boggling without being outright sick or porn or such. If you want images of about a hundred dead bodies floating in a harbor, you can find them if that's what you care to see.

But if you care to see someone alive, mind-bogglingly alive, here it is.

This is Acehnese Rizal Shahputra, the luckiest man in the world, as seen from the deck of a container ship. He is floating on a bunch of debris. He has been floating on this debris for EIGHT DAYS. He was rescued earlier today.

Like a lot of others from Banda Aceh, he was swept out to sea... way out. In horror, he watched as others swept out couldn't manage and disappeared. And he floated.

"At first, there were some friends with me," Rizal told reporters. "After a few days, they were gone... I saw bodies left and right."

http://cellar.org/2004/survivormap.gif

He survived by drinking rainwater and banging open coconuts with a door latch that he found.

full story 1 full story 2

So many things should have killed him. Sunburn and dehydration usually combine to get you first. Then starvation if you somehow survive those. Not to mention the freakin' tsunami waves and everything they brought with them.

Do they believe in Satan over there? He must have made a deal.

Maybe he knows Tatsuya Ishida, Xant. :biggrin:

I don't know if being washed 100 miles out to sea by a tidal wave qualifies one as the luckiest man on earth or not. I would be willing to accept the notion that he had first been very unlucky, then very lucky, I think.

So you're saying it's a wash?

...or it all comes out in the wash. ;)

So is that absolute luckiness (sp?!) or relative luckiness?

If this guy had relatives, I'm pretty sure they were even unluckier than he.

Good thing he wore a yellow shirt. I wonder if life is sweeter or more bitter now?

edit -Nice call UT. Stories of hope and triumph are whats needed.

I feel sure the people set in their belief of evolution; would say this man was very lucky. I also believe the people who firmly believe in the theory of creation would say he was definetly blessed by "God". As, a person who was firmly taught christianity was the one and only way, I do hope the latter is true. Sometimes, I feel education; especially formal education can be very detriemental to simple people like me. Once, as a boy I really believed I saw Santa Clause flying through the air. For whatever reason, I am very happy for this paticular positve image of one of the worst natural disasters ever. God bless him and all the people who have died an suffered in this terrible event.
Thank you for the positive image. I've seen all the negative possible in the media. Maybe, some scientist trying to teach everyone about evolution being the factual theory; could figure out a way to warn people when a Tsuanami is
coming. At least then they might have time to decide about their final beliefs concerning the hereafter.

tsunami.........do I need a condom?

Then you clearly don't know what you're talking about. They would say that he was particularly well adapted, or "fit" to survive. He survived because he was able to collect rainwater and harvest coconuts.

No, such a formal education would be impossible to you if you were so simple as you claim. A formal education would only be an impediment if you allow it to clutter how you think to the point that you are unable to think at all. One of the greatest instructors I've ever had was a very lucid and insightul priest who was my ethics teacher.

That's because it is a fantasy. A fantasy that people eventually out grow.

Funny thing about that idea, it's been tossed around for a while, but one of the biggest hurdles seems to be the fact that a lot of that part of the world is unable to accept rapid communication and then unable to implement it should they get it.

Isn't the premise supposed to be that you shouldn't have to worry about a warning? Isn't your state of grace supposed to be in a constant state of question?

Well, he was lucky he only made 100 miles in 8 days. He could have been much further away....out of the shipping lanes. :eek:

He was very lucky to have been blessed by God while God allowed some 150000 people to die around him.

First of all, thanks for enlightning me on my lack of understanding of the evolution theory. However, the creationist would probably say he was saved by the grace of God. I was also taught ethics and logic, but I was taught by a self proclaimed agnostic. What I meant, as you clearly misunderstood my point was that for the most part people with more education have a problem with the whole concept of God. This happens to have been proven by surveys for many years. Your quite right, for the most part people do grow oui of childhood fantasies; they just endeavor into adult fantasies which are usually more detrimental. I'm sure people in that part of the world are able to communicate well, and if not maybe scientist from all over the world should give it a little effort. You lost me on the premise of grace. I never said I thought he was saved by the grace of God. I just was making the point that I'm sure the evolutionist and creationist probably have totally different views on what provided this gentleman with such good fortune.