When pictures emerged of him being rescued from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, little Martunis’ story touched millions.
In an astonishing tale of hope, the seven-year-old lad was saved after 21 days on his own in a swamp, surviving on puddle water and dried noodles, after the disaster killed his mum and two sisters. The miraculous moment he was carried to safety was caught on camera before being beamed around the world, making him instantly famous and triggering an unlikely upturn in his fortunes.
Now 20 years on, he smiles at his home in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and tells how he hopes that by reminding people of what happened to him, he can inspire others to believe that anything is possible.
Martunis, 27, said: “I’m very grateful because God gave me life, opportunity, a second life for me. I just want everyone to be able to be inspired by my life story. I hope my story and the story of my life can be remembered by everyone.”
The tsunami, which was caused by a massive underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean, was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, killing more than 230,000 people across 11 countries. Martunis, who was saved wearing a counterfeit Portugal football top, became one of the faces of the tragedy before forming a remarkable relationship with the country’s football icon Cristiano Ronaldo after he visited Indonesia to meet him.
The superstar reportedly paid for Martunis’ education and the Portuguese Football Federation gave him money to help rebuild his family’s wooden home. Within months Martunis was flown to Portugal to meet the country’s whole national team before a match, before also being invited to London by music legend Madonna.
And he even lived his footballing dream eleven years later by signing an academy contract for Ronaldo’s old club Sporting Lisbon. Recalling the tsunami, Martunis said: “I was playing football with my friends when suddenly an earthquake struck.
“I rushed home and gathered with my mother, older sister, and younger sister, and we hugged each other. Then someone shouted that the sea water was rising and I ran together with my mother, my little sister and older sister.”
The terrified family got into a pick-up truck in a bid to escape the water, but it was soon submerged and overturned. Martunis remembers: “At that moment, I picked up my little sister and handed her to my mother.
“I also picked up my older sister and helped her when she was drowning in the water. I tried to lift my sisters who were drowning, but we got separated. “I found myself on a mattress. As the mattress started to sink, I grabbed onto a school bench, but that also sank.
“Then I saw a coconut. I hugged it like hugging a football until I climbed onto another mattress. I passed out several times… I was drowning. Suddenly, I found myself on a big tree and was carried towards the sea.
“When I woke up, I didn’t see a single person anymore. I couldn’t find anyone who was alive. I just saw a lot of corpses around me. I was lost in the mangrove swamp for 21 days, trying to find food.
“Sometimes I found biscuits and also some other food, like instant noodles, bottled water, as well as other drinks. On day 20, I ran out of food and had to drink rainwater.”
Dehydrated, malnourished and badly bitten by mosquitos, Martunis was eventually found on a beach by a Sky News TV crew, who took him to hospital for urgent treatment. He said: “I didn’t realise until then I had been at sea for 21 days – it felt like only three days to me.”
His father Sarbini, a fish farm worker, had been searching for him under wrecked buildings when he heard about his rescue from the news. He was later reunited with him on the wards by staff from charity Save The Children through their Family Tracking and Reunification programme.
Speaking about the emotional moment, Martunis said: “When I first saw my father I immediately asked about my mother and my sisters. My father said that they were gone and then I cried and hugged my father.”
Martunis and his dad, who is now aged 68 and still working, have since formed an unbreakable bond. He said: “Family is very important because we can feel togetherness and also support each other. Happiness, difficulty, whatever happens, we can feel it all. He always supports what I do. He always cares about me.
Alongside his father, Martunis credits Save The Children with helping him to rebuild his life. They were one of the first agencies to respond in the aftermath of the tragedy and set up a number of initiatives in his area, including a Safe Play Area, which provided a safe space for kids to play.
They also helped with healthcare and education. Martunis said: “At the time, I had a lot of wounds because many objects were under the tsunami. I am very grateful for the excellent care from Save the Children. They looked after me at that time.”
Speaking about the tsunami, he added: “Hopefully, what happened 20 years ago will not happen again. These 20 years have been very sad for the whole society because I’m not the only one to lose their family, the people they love.
“But this is an experience that has already happened, and hopefully we can, yes we can look after nature better. We can also use the experience to face future events.”
Martunis is now married and has a young daughter. His home is decorated with newspaper clippings recounting his miraculous escape and framed photographs of the family members he lost and he also has pictures of himself with Ronaldo and during his time at Sporting Lisbon.
A knee injury sadly ended his football career before it began, but Martunis has his mind set firmly on the future and is now attempting to become a successful football influencer online.
He said: “I’ve loved football since I was little. Football can change our lives and brighten our lives. It brightens my life after the tsunami. Yes, my dream has always been to become a professional footballer, but that’s not for me, because I already had an ACL injury.
“I remain positive and will become a better person. Whatever I’m asked to do, I’ll still accept it, because God’s plan is more beautiful. Moving forward, I hope I can become a successful and helpful person in whatever field. Hopefully, in the near future, I can be a successful, generous person.”
