John Allen Chau’s ill-fated and fatal trip to North Sentinel Island was several years in the making.
According toThe Washington Post, Chau first arrived on India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands— groups of land including North Sentinel Island, in 2016 when he began taking scuba diving lessons at friend Remco Snoeji’s shop on Havelock Island.
Snoeji toldThe Posthe remembers Chau taking a “keen interest in researching and knowing more” about the tribespeople.
John Chau/Instagram
“He lost his mind, definitely,” Snoeji told the newspaper. “But ask any adventurer. You have to lose your mind a little bit, otherwise, you don’t do it.”
John Chau.John Chau/Instagram
Chau had a “very meticulous plan to camouflage his expedition as fishing activity,” Dependra Pathak, the director general of police for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands said,The Washington Postreported.
John Middleton Ramsey, another friend of the missionary, also recalls Chau’s passion for the expedition.
“He knew of the dangers of this place,” Ramsey explained toThe Postbefore explaining that Chau refused to involve himself in any serious relationships that would take his focus from the island. “He didn’t want any hearts broken should something go wrong. He was very much aware of what he was doing. He also knew it wasn’t exactly legal.”
Also in 2016, Chau joined the Missouri-based missionary group All Nations, who send Christian missionaries to 40 countries. According to the group’s international executive leader Mary Ho, Chau told them he wanted to live with the Sentinelese people and learn their language.
Once he made contact with the Sentinelese people the next morning, Chau wrote in his journal that they allegedly reacted angrily when he tried to preach to them,according toThe Post.
“I hollered, ‘My name is John, I love you and Jesus loves you,” Chau explained in his journal on Nov. 16.
He then wrote that one of the tribespeople struck him with an arrow, which pierced through his Bible.
“You guys might think I’m crazy in all this but I think it’s worthwhile to declare Jesus to these people,” Chau wrote before adding, “God, I don’t want to die.”
The following day, he tried to make contact again. Tragically, local fishermen said they watched as the Sentinelese people attacked and dragged Chau away, CNNreported.
At this time, Indian police have not confirmed whether or not Chau is dead, but believe he is and they are doing their best to recover his body.
“We have a team out in the waters for reconnaissance and to strategize how to recover his body. The team consists of coastal guards, officials from tribal welfare department, forest department officers and police officials,” Indian police told CNN.
As of Monday, a tribal rights organization is calling for officials tonot try to recover Chau’s body, claiming the attempt would be “incredibly dangerous” to both authorities and the Sentinelese people.
Stephen Corry, Survival International’s Director, issuedthe precautionary statementon Monday.
“We urge the Indian authorities to abandon efforts to recover John Allen Chau’s body,” Corry wrote. “Any such attempt is incredibly dangerous, both for the Indian officials, but also for the Sentinelese, who face being wiped out if any outside diseases are introduced.”
North Sentinel Island is about the size of Manhattan but those that live on the island are known to fiercely protect themselves if anyone or anything attempts to come close to their village,according toSurvival International. Reports on their numbers vary from as little as 15 to over 100.
source: people.com
