A video of a young Bajau Laut girl in Malaysia rescuing a sinking canoe by using her legs has gone viral and made international headlines. The youngster from Mabul Island, a fishing village off the coast of Malaysia astounds everyone as she just relies on the strength of her legs to balance the canoe.
In the video, a wooden canoe can be seen quickly sinking as water gushes into the small vessel. A woman and three young children, presumably tourists, are seen trying to stay afloat in the water.
When the girl spots the submerged wooden canoe, she immediately springs into action and clings to a jetty as she secures the canoe with both of her feet
She then starts tipping the wooden canoe side-to-side using her leg strength and remarkable balance so the water flows out of the boat
Watch the full video of the Bajau Laut girl in action here
Gradually, water splashes out of the wooden canoe and within seconds, the canoe is floating back again on the water
Just look at her balance skill!
She even helps the children get into the canoe back when the canoe is secured enough to float on the water
When the video was first uploaded on 31 March 2014, the video quickly garnered millions of views across the globe. Now, it has garnered over 5.1 million views on Youtube
Many people were impressed and admired the young girl’s quick thinking and incredible balance. One comment wrote: “That girl is awesome!” while another comment wrote: “Well, where was she when the Titanic went down?”
The courageous Malaysian girl is identified as a Bajau Laut, an ethnic group from Sabah, Malaysia originated from the Philippines and Indonesia who live their entire lives on the water. They are also sometimes referred to as “Sea Gypsies”.
Bajau Laut community live close to the seashore by erecting houses on stilts or houseboats. Many of them work as fishermen and boatmakers.
