You've probably read Lord of the Flies by Golding? In what is considered a classic today, several boys from respectable families ended up on a desert island. Alone, no adults. This did not lead to anything good. The guys gave up on work, quarreled and got to trouble - I will not retell the plot. However, 11 years after the book was published, a similar situation actually happened, only the outcome was completely different. The guys turned out to be with their heads!
The story is great, but, unfortunately, nowadays almost forgotten.
I recently came across an interesting documentary on YouTube. The author of the film traveled to the uninhabited island of Ata with Kahlo, one of six guys who ended up there in 1965. Kahlo was already under 70, but he remembered everything like yesterday.
The Kingdom of Tonga is a state in Polynesia, located on almost 200 islands. In June 1965, six guys aged 13-16 from a catalytic boarding school in Nuku'alofa (the capital of a country with a population of only 20,000) decided to steal a boat from a local fisherman. The guys had an adventure in mind: they wanted to sail to Fiji or even New Zealand.
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They took nothing with them: a couple of bunches of bananas, a few coconuts and a gas burner. No map, no compass. In a word, goofs. As they sailed, they dozed off. The ocean quickly showed who was in charge. The boat was covered by a storm, the sail was blown away, the oars were broken. The boys drifted for the next seven days, preparing for the worst. Food ran out immediately, water - to a minimum. It rained a couple of times and the guys took water into the coconut shells. Fortunately, on the eighth day they were washed ashore on the island of Ata.
The area is 2.3 square kilometers. Dense vegetation, tropics - after all. Once upon a time people lived here, but in the middle of the 19th century, Peruvian slave traders took everyone away. Since then, the island has been uninhabited. This is where our goofs ended up. And you know, in a difficult situation guys from poor families showed their best side. In my opinion, it was discipline that saved them.
A snapshot from a 1966 reenactment documentary by Australian TV.
The boys immediately agreed not to quarrel, but, if the situation escalated, to disperse for a while. They organized work shifts in twos. Responsibilities: kitchen, food gathering and guarding. They made a fire and for 15 months they made sure that the fire did not go out. They fished fish and birds, ate taro stalks, and later discovered the ruins of an old settlement and found wild chickens and bananas there. With water it was more difficult. It rarely rained, and in the summer the guys were constantly thirsty. Then they learned to better collect and store water.
A snapshot from a 1966 reenactment documentary by Australian TV.
One day Stephen, one of the boys, slipped and broke his leg. So others busted him with sticks and vines and took over his duties. The bone has healed perfectly.
The children prayed every morning and at night. From wire and coconut, one of them made something like a guitar and entertained others with music. The guys had a "gym" with "dumbbells" from the available means. Someone will ask: why didn't they try to escape? They tried. They even made a raft, but the waves were too strong, and they did not know where to sail.
A snapshot from a 1966 reenactment documentary by Australian TV.
The guys were found in September 1966. They were saved by Australian fisherman Peter Warner from a wealthy family. At first, he told the team to be on their guard, fearing a catch - they suddenly stumbled upon a pirate camp. Then he contacted Nuku'alofa by radio and was surprised to find out: yes, the boys disappeared and said goodbye to them long ago.
Subsequently, Peter Warner hired six guys and named their boat ATA.
Believe it or not, the guys at home … they immediately threw them into the jail. The fisherman did not forgive the stolen boat. Warner had to pay for their release. When the boys returned to their native village, literally everyone greeted them. Australian television even filmed a story about it. Unfortunately, now they have begun to forget history, and yet it is very revealing. With your head on your shoulders and discipline, you can overcome any challenge.