Eleven Indonesian fishermen were rescued by Australian maritime authorities on Monday 17th April 2023 after being stranded on a tiny island for six days without food or water.
The fishermen had been caught in the path of Tropical Cyclone Ilsa, one of the strongest storms to hit Western Australia in over a decade, which destroyed their two boats.
The first group of 11 men swam to shore on the remote Bedwell Island, a stretch of sand in the Rowley Shoals, which is known for its deep-sea fishing.
The survivors had built a makeshift shelter with debris from their boat and were spotted by an Australian Border Force aircraft during a planned surveillance mission and were eventually airlifted to safety by a rescue helicopter.
One survivor had spent 30 hours in the water before reaching Bedwell Island.
However, the nine other men are believed to have drowned when the second vessel, which was carrying at least 10 others, sunk in the powerful storm, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The survivors were all reported to be in good health despite their ordeal and were being treated in hospital in Broome. The Australian government was working to repatriate the group as soon as practical.
Bedwell Island is a remote, exposed and inhospitable stretch of white sand with no natural shelter or freshwater sources. It lies near the Rowley Shoals, a series of coral reefs off Western Australia’s coast.
Cyclone Ilsa hit Western Australia last week, sparing populated areas from major damage.
