Indonesia soldier found alive 2 weeks after helicopter crash

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A missing soldier has been found alive two weeks after the helicopter he was aboard crashed in a remote area of Borneo, Indonesia’s army said Friday.

The army said in statement that 1st Lt. Yohanes Syahputra was found by locals on a road between two villages Thursday in a weakened state due to lack of food with wounds to his hands, waist and legs.

The discovery was reported by radio to a military post.

The Bell 412 EP helicopter that crashed Nov. 24 was carrying five soldiers including two pilots to Long Bawan, a remote town near the border with Malaysia, when it lost contact with its base.

One pilot was rescued three days later when the wreckage was located in rugged terrain. Three others were found dead.

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Army spokesman Sabrar Fadhilah said Syahputra will be evacuated to the town of Tarakan for medical examination.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation of more than 250 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings. Overcrowding, poor infrastructure and unenforced safety rules are often to blame.

The military, which suffers from low funding, has also regularly suffered airplane and helicopter crashes.

The Associated Press