A fisherman saved his life – now this traveller is returning the favour by rebuilding Lombok village devastated by earthquake

Ryan Clayton, an American tourist, was swimming at Gili Trawangan beach, near Bali, and nearly drowned when he was dragged out to sea

He will never forget the generosity of the man who rescued him or the kindness of his fellow villagers

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Ryan Clayton and the residents of Nipah. Photo: Handout

Published: 12:01pm, 25 Dec 2018Updated: 3:02pm, 25 Dec 2018

Disillusioned by American politics and Donald Trump’s presidency, Ryan Clayton decided in April to take a break and travel through Southeast Asia for several months. While swimming at Gili Trawangan beach, near Bali, he got lost at sea for 12 hours. He thought he was going to die. But a fisherman came to his rescue and took him back to shore. Before long, it would become Clayton’s mission to return the favour.

After Lombok was hit by a series of earthquakes in August, killing hundreds of people and destroying thousands of homes, Clayton felt compelled to do something for the village that took him in. He raised about US$15,000 through a crowdsourcing website and in recent weeks has helped Nipah’s residents rebuild their lives.

“I owe them a lot,” the 37-year-old former political consultant says.

Clayton’s life intersected with those of the Nipah villagers by chance – or, some would argue, by fate. In July, he was at a popular beach near the northwestern coast of Lombok island, swimming at sunset. With its palm trees running neatly along the sand and thousands of coral reefs just offshore, the area is a magnet for backpackers and tourists. It seemed nothing could go wrong.

“Then a rip tide pulled me out to sea, perhaps 10km away from the shore,” he says. “The waves were like three metres tall.”

The beach faded from view as Clayton was dragged further and further out.