A man presumed dead in the 2018 earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Indonesia, has returned home after eight years, only to discover that his father died without knowing he had survived.
Jumaidin, now 26, stunned his family when he appeared at their home in Bongka Makmur village, Central Sulawesi, about two weeks ago.
His sister, Mahania, 33, said the family initially struggled to believe that the man standing before them was really Jumaidin.
“At first, we did not believe it, but after looking at his teeth, we were convinced that he was indeed our younger brother,” she told Kompas.com on Thursday.
The emotional reunion took a heartbreaking turn when Jumaidin asked about their father, unaware that he had died about three years earlier.
Mahania said their father had repeatedly travelled to Palu to search for Jumaidin after the disaster, but his efforts proved unsuccessful.
The family eventually accepted reports that Jumaidin had died. A death certificate was issued, and they held 40 days of prayers for him before giving away his clothes.
However, Mahania said their father had continued to hope that Jumaidin was alive because his body had never been found.
Jumaidin later recounted that he had been trapped under rubble when the disaster struck Palu. A friend rescued him and took him to Morowali.
He reportedly remained unconscious for about a month due to serious injuries, particularly to his head.
After regaining consciousness, Jumaidin suffered memory loss so severe that he could not recognise himself or remember his home address.
The person who rescued him later helped him obtain identification documents, including an identity card and family registration records.
Jumaidin subsequently worked in Morowali before returning to Palu in 2023, where he found a job at a car wash.
After years of living without knowing his origins, his memories began to return when he saw a TikTok video featuring a bridge in the Bongka area.
Feeling that he recognised the location, he searched for more information online before a friend helped him trace his way back to his village.
The reunion brought a mixture of joy and grief to a family that had spent eight years mourning his presumed death.
“Our feelings were mixed. We were touched, sad and happy. All this time, we had wondered where he was and who was taking care of him,” Mahania said.
Despite reuniting with his family, Jumaidin has chosen to continue living in Palu, where he already has a job and friends.
He has promised to visit his family whenever he has the time.
For his family, his return finally ended years of uncertainty, although his father did not live long enough to see him come home safely.
