Stefania Sarrubba
A Swiss man spent nearly a year alone on a remote island after preparing for several months to survive in the wild.
In September 2008, Xavier Rosset left the comfort of home in Verbier for the archipelago of Tonga in the middle of Pacific Ocean.
A snowboarder, Xavier picked the small volcanic island of Tofua, 1,600km from New Zealand. Tofua is virtually unpopulated.
To stay on the island for ten months, Xavier brought a Swiss knife, a machete, his satellite phone, a medical kit and a solar panel to recharge his battery supplies for his camera and update his website.
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In the 52-minute video chronicling his experience with extreme weather conditions, skin infections and questionable dietary choices, he said he wasn’t all convinced he’d embark on an adventure like this again.
“If I had to do it again, well… I don’t think I would,” he said.
Before settling on the island, Xavier noted that the most important thing for him would be to ‘stay zen’ and ‘keep calm’.
“Whatever happens, I’ll be alone,” he said.
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To help himself grounded through his mission, Xavier brought the ‘Flag of Motivation’ - a white sheet with messages from his friends and loved ones.
And he even made some pals of his own, including some Norwegian tourists going to Tofua for the day.
Xavier also met a farmer from a neighbouring island who was on Tofua with a friend to cultivate a plant called kava, the roots of which make a relaxing drink.
Xavier helped one of the two men who had cut his finger badly and nursed the injury using his first aid kit. In return, the farmers gifted him a dog to keep him company, with his mental health immediately picking up.
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But the furry friend wasn’t the only animal Xavier encountered on the island.
Xavier also found a baby black female pig in the trap he’d set up.
Within minutes of meeting the pig, however, he gave up on the idea of making her his dinner and nicknamed her ‘Piggy’. He brought her back to his camp, and even built a pen for her and watched her starting eating food on her own.
This cute friendship had a bittersweet ending. Piggy went out of the pen one day and was nowhere to be found.
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Despite trying to locate her, Xavier imagined she’d gone back to the wild, saying he was ‘happy’ for her. As for the dog, Xavier took him back with him to the nearby main island after leaving Tofua.
Those who watched his journey were impressed with his skills and determination, and were moved by his friendship with Piggy, with one person writing on Reddit: "I got a HUGE kick out of this!”