A 57-year-old fisherman from Ternate, North Maluku, has been rescued after drifting at sea for 26 days, following his disappearance while fishing off the coast of Pulau Batang Dua.
Esau Sidemo, a resident of Bido Village, Pulau Batang Dua District, was rescued by the crew of the French-flagged LNG cargo vessel LNG Endeavour while it was sailing through the Pacific Ocean towards China.
“The victim is currently aboard the LNG Endeavour, which is en route to China, and his health is being monitored by the ship’s medical team,” said Iwan Ramdani, Head of the Ternate Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), as reported by detikSulsel on Monday (August 3, 2026).
Fisherman Spotted by Crew Member
Esau left his home on Tuesday (July 7) to go fishing. However, his small boat was swept away by strong currents, leaving him unable to return and prompting a search for him.
The Ternate SAR Command Centre received information that Esau had been found safe on Sunday (August 2) at around 2pm WIT. The report came from a local council member representing the Pulau Batang Dua electoral district.
The SAR office subsequently contacted Esau’s family and coordinated with the crew of the LNG Endeavour to confirm the report.
According to Iwan, one of the vessel’s crew members spotted Esau on Saturday (August 1) at 5.23pm WIT while the ship was travelling through the Pacific Ocean. The fisherman’s small boat was not detected by the vessel’s radar or navigation systems. Instead, he was noticed visually by a crew member.
The vessel then changed course to approach Esau. During the rescue, Esau entered the water and grabbed a lifebuoy thrown by the crew before being brought aboard via the ship’s gangway.
“We coordinated with the LNG Endeavour and confirmed that the victim was visually spotted by a crew member on August 1, 2026, at 17:23 local time (GMT+9) at coordinates 07°33.5′ N / 138°59.7′ E in the Pacific Ocean,” Iwan said when confirming the details on Monday (August 3).
Esau Receives Medical Treatment Aboard Ship
Esau was reportedly in a very weak physical condition when he was rescued. The crew immediately provided first aid and took him to the vessel’s medical facility.
Medical treatment was carried out with the assistance of a doctor in France through remote medical consultations. After his condition stabilised, Esau was moved to a passenger cabin to continue his recovery.
“The ship is currently sailing toward the Yangshan LNG Terminal in Shanghai, China, with an estimated arrival on August 7 or 8, 2026,” Iwan explained.
Esau’s family later managed to speak with him through a video call using a crew member’s mobile phone. His nephew, Norfen Konyenye, said the family was relieved to see that Esau had survived, although they were concerned by his physical condition.
“We, the family, are overjoyed that our ‘Papa Ade’ was found safe, though it was heartbreaking to see his condition. We were thrilled to learn he had survived; the whole family had been offering their best prayers throughout the search,” Norfen said.
When asked by his family how he had survived for almost a month at sea with limited supplies, Esau gave a simple explanation.
“When my older sibling asked what he ate to stay alive, Papa Ade (Esau Sidemo) simply replied, ‘God sent the food, so I felt full,’” Norfen said in an interview with Kompas.com on Tuesday (August 4, 2026).
The family’s video call was facilitated by Diana, Norfen’s older sister. The conversation was brief because the crew member’s internet data was running low, but the call allowed the family to see Esau and confirm that he was recovering.
Basarnas is continuing to coordinate with its command centre to monitor Esau’s condition and arrange his return to Indonesia. The management of the LNG Endeavour has also been asked to maintain coordination with the Indonesian Embassy and Consulate General in Shanghai.
“The victim is currently aboard the LNG Endeavour, which is en route to China, and his health is being continuously monitored by the ship’s medical team,” Iwan said.
He also expressed his appreciation to the captain and crew of the LNG Endeavour for rescuing Esau and providing medical assistance.
“Basarnas will continue to monitor the victim’s progress until the repatriation process is complete and he is returned to his family in Batang Dua,” Iwan concluded, as quoted by Kompas.
@frontlinestoryAdrift for 26 days: How a multinational effort saved a lost fisherman On August 12, 2026, a remarkable international relief effort culminated at Shanghai’s Yangshan Port. After an Indonesian fisherman survived 26 days adrift in the Pacific, he was spotted and saved by a French LNG carrier. Upon arrival in China, Shanghai Immigration joined forces with the consulate to fast-track his clearance and emergency passport, ensuring his safe transit back home.
