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When a plucky young sailor found a group of boys in the ocean, he knew things were going to end up pretty strangely. Once they revealed their stories to him though, he realized things were not as they seemed. Together, they had overcome some pretty serious adversity...
A Random Detour
Peter Warner was sick of his wealthy father's lifestyle. Of course, Peter was always expected to carry on the family business once his father retired. Peter didn't care about the business though, he cared about the seas. He wanted to sail. His favorite and most important trip he ever took was to the remote Polynesian island of Tonga, where he met quite a group...
Seeing Something Strange
Peter was headed for Australia, not the remote island off in the distance. However, once he heard loud noises coming from the uninhabited island, he knew he had to check it out for himself. Using some high powered binoculars, Peter set his sights on the area. Quickly he realized there was a fire on the small island—maybe someone was in danger! He had to see...
Approaching the Boat
While Peter was trying to decide whether or not to stop and investigate, he noticed something more troubling...a figure swimming out toward the boat! He was nervously anticipating the interaction, but then noticed something even more nervewracking...there were 5 other figures right behind him! He was worried that he had upset some indigenous culture, but in fact, he was saving a life...
Friendly Faces
As the first and fastest figure approached the boat, Peter backed up. However, as soon as the boy broke the surface, he said "My name is Stephen. There are six of us and we reckon we’ve been here for 15 months." Suddenly it all became very clear to Peter. These weren't angry locals, they were stranded teens, and they needed his help!
Their Incredible True Story
Stephen eagerly climbed on board Peter's boat, out of breath and very thin. He was quickly joined by the additional five boys behind him. All the boys were overjoyed to meet Peter and thanked him for coming. They revealed that they were boys from a boarding school in Tonga, but things went pretty awry for them. Peter radioed in his unsettling discovery of six schoolboys...
A Living Miracle
The group of boys and Peter waited 20 minutes until someone heard their call. The voice was out of breath but eager, exclaiming across the line "You found them!" Clearly, these weren't just some pranksters looking for a free boat ride. The radio voice had more to say. "These boys have been given up for dead," he cried "Funerals have been held. If it’s them, this is a miracle!"
Their True Story
Peter couldn't believe the story he was seeing come to life. It reminded him of the William Golding book Lord of the Flies, though maybe not as brutal and dark. Nevertheless, these boys, Mano, Stephen, Sione, Kolo, David, and Luke, had a story similar to the famous tale. It all started when they got a little too adventurous one day and decided that they would sail to Fiji, almost 500 miles away.
Poor Planning
The adventure wouldn't stop there, they planned to sail to New Zealand as well if they could manage it. They had no access to a boat, but someone did. Mr. Taniela Uhila, a local fisherman, was greatly disliked by all of the boys. They felt that stealing his boat would be their act of revenge against the mean old man. They brought two sacks of bananas, a few coconuts, and a small gas burner, and no map or compass.
A Doomed Trip
The boys made the unwise decision to set sail at night, so as to avoid being spotted in the stolen ship. The water remained steady and calm during that first night, though the boys were feeling restless and scared. They had finally done something daring, but would it be worth it? Eventually, they all drifted off to sleep, and the boat fell victim to the ocean...
A Broken Ship
While the boys were fast asleep, the sea was alive and well and sent a wave crashing over their tiny ship. In the dead of night, the already treacherous ocean was even more confusing and unsettling. Even worse, their ship was broken. The sail had ripped apart and the rudder was broken. They were at the will of the wide-open ocean now...
Land Ho!
After drifting for what felt like forever (though was only about eight days), the boys came across a tiny island. Sure, it wasn't the sprawling civilization they had hoped to discover, but it was land. Laying about 102 miles southwest of Tonga, the boys stumbled across a giant, rocky island known today as 'Ata. The desolate rock would become their new home...
Inhabiting the Island
The last indigenous people of ‘Ata had left in 1863, making this island completely empty. It's no wonder why it was never repopulated, the rocky shores made it pretty uninhabitable. In over 100 years, no one aside from the boys stepped foot on the land. They had to start from ground zero and work their way up. They had to work fast too, summer was right around the corner.
Summer Chores
The boys agreed to keep some civility about them by designating chores for each of them to complete. They established a guard and someone on kitchen duty. Each boy worked in teams of two so as to avoid betrayal. They struggled with food, water, and shelter, but somehow they managed. It seemed to them they were the only people on the island...
Somehow Surviving
Living on the shores of ‘Ata was doable for a short while, but they were starting to get worried. How long could they realistically survive out here? The summer was grossly hot, and they had very little food and clean water. They were exhausted from constantly working. They went deeper into the forest every day. Eventually, they found something to lift their spirits...
Making Shelter
The shelter is certainly the hardest part of any survival expedition. At the top of the local mountain, the boys found coconuts and wild birds they could hunt for food. They even uncovered old artifacts from the indigenous people. Best of all though, they found a campsite where people had once bred wild chickens, harvested banana plants, and grew wild taro.
Medical Emergency
The boys accepted their new lives on this remote island. However, things would soon take a turn for the gruesome. On one of their hunting expeditions, Stephen was hurt. He slipped on the rocks of the shore and broke his leg. The boys made him a splint and carried him back to the top of the mountain. The danger didn't stop there though...
Scared and Alone
They had hoped for adventure, and this was certainly something they never expected. Still, they managed to maintain normalcy. Kolo figured out how to fashion his own makeshift guitar. The boys played songs on it and used the instrument for their daily prayers. They slept together in a massive room, hoping one day to return home where they belonged...
Rescued at Last
Finally, they had some luck. After a long 15 months on 'Ata, on Sunday, September 11, 1966, one of the boys noticed an object out at sea. “Boat coming! Boat coming!” he yelled, and the boys all ran down to the shoreline, dove headfirst into the water, and swam as fast as they could. Stephen was the fastest, and therefore the first to reach Peter's boat...
A Final Goodbye
Before setting off for their voyage home, the boys asked Peter to come and see their campsite. He would be the only one who could validate their claims. Peter kept a memoir during this time, and wrote of the site "By the time we arrived, the boys had set up a small commune." He noted several important additions to the campsite, all of which were necessary for a living...
Campsite Essentials
Peter was amazed at what the boys had accomplished. He noted in his memoirs that the boys had crafted everything. They made "a food garden, hollowed-out tree trunks to store rainwater, a gymnasium with curious weights, a badminton court, chicken pens, and a permanent fire, all from the handiwork of an old knife blade and much determination..."
Unhappy Homecoming
Not everyone was so impressed by the survivors. After 15 months, the boys from Tonga had been long presumed dead. Their funerals had already happened and money had been lost. Families were broken, and their girlfriends had all moved on. Everything had changed for them in only a year's time. Their happy return wasn't so happy after all...
Immediate Arrest
The least happy of all was their former enemy, Mr. Taniela Uhila. The fisherman had lost his livelihood to these hooligans, he was crushed. How does a fisherman make his living without a boat? When he discovered his boat was missing, he pressed charges. The boys were arrested on Tongan shores the minute they returned. It was all too much...
Planning Ahead
Peter Warner couldn't believe the course of events. Just days ago, he had seen the most unreal circumstances. He saved six runaway boys from almost certain perishment aboard an abandoned island. It seemed wrong that this incredible story would end with imprisonment. It wasn't fair, but he knew of a way that he could make it right...
Film Crew
Peter had some serious connections in the film industry thanks to his powerful father. He had a perfect idea: get the story’s film rights. Once he had them, he presented the idea to the Tonga government. The boys would act in the movie and Peter would provide a boat. The plan worked perfectly! The government permitted it and the boys were freed to their families...
Finally Home
Once these celebrity survivors were finally released from their holding, they were free to go back and see their families. The boys, once presumed dead, were received in their hometown with great celebration. From their small island of nearly 900 people, almost every resident came out to welcome them back. It was a joyous and monumental day for everyone there...
King of Tonga
Their families cried as they welcomed their children back home. Musicians came out to perform, a gigantic celebratory feast was held, and Peter Warner honored in the community for heroically rescuing the boys. The King of Tonga even graced Peter with a meeting. This was very opportune, as Peter had a plan he was hoping to discuss with him...
Speaking With the King
The King was a very important figure to the people of Tonga. After a long day of celebration, Peter Warner was excited for his next big adventure: meeting with the King! He was brought to the capital to converse with the man himself, King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. He was the leader, and Peter had some big plans. Peter would later recall the king saying “thank you for rescuing six of my subjects.”
Lobster and the King
Peter was certainly honored to get this meeting, and he didn't want to waste it. After thanking him for the kindness, the King asked “Now, is there anything I can do for you?” Peter wanted to ask the king an odd request. Could he start a business here, trapping lobster off the island shores? He would be able to live his life on the ocean like he always wanted...
Peter's Dream
With the help of the King, Peter was able to quit his father’s wealthy lifestyle and go after his dream of living on the sea. But he had other goals too, ones that required a little more work. He was just like the boys he had rescued, dreaming of a life of adventure. So he decided to do something that would benefit not only himself but those who had changed his life...
Employer and Employees
It was a perfect fit. Peter would hire the six rescued boys to work for him as fishermen. They would be able to set sail on the open ocean every single day, no day quite the same as the one before it. Without hesitation, all six of the survivors agreed to sign on as new crew members. With Peter's help, they would see the world outside of their bubble...
Learning the Ropes
Remember when the boys first set sail? They had no training, no compass, no map, there was barely any food for their journey, even if it went well! Peter fixed this problem by teaching them anything they could need to know to sail and explore the oceans. It was worth it, the boys worked for Peter for several years, learning and growing their business...
Lost to Time
The boys and Peter were hoping to return to the island to film a documentary about their time there. Sadly, the idea never came to fruition. The documentary was put on the backburner, and later forgotten entirely. The boys were heartbroken by this realization. They felt like they were disappearing all over again, although this instance would be very different...
Lord of the Flies
The story has often been compared to Lord of the Flies, though the boys reject this comparison. They never descended into chaos and maintained their friendship during and years following. Sure, there were similarities, but in the end, these friends banded together and overcame the odds. Together, they survived the wilderness and the fame that came from it...