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Survivor rescued after 15 days at sea

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An Indonesian man swept out to sea by the tsunami two weeks ago has been rescued by a passing ship and brought to Malaysia.

Ari Afrizal, 22, was picked up at lunchtime on Sunday by an Omani cargo vessel, the Al Yamamah, the ship reported yesterday.

Mr Ari is from Desa Kabung in Aceh province on Sumatra island.

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He was sitting on a dock with friends when they felt the earthquake that caused the tsunami.

The first wave hit 15 minutes later, and Mr Ari found himself clinging to a large piece of wood with four others.

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For the next two days he drifted helplessly as, one by one, those around him perished.

He then spotted and swam to an overturned sampan and survived for the next five or six days on rainwater and a few bags of instant noodles that floated past.

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