A CHRISTIAN missionary who was shot dead with bows and arrows on a remote Indian island may have survived the attack, his friends and family believe.

American John Allen Chau, 26, was reportedly killed by the protected Sentinelese tribe during his quest to convert North Sentinel islanders to Christianity.

11 John Chau, left, and pal John Middleton Ramsey met on a trip to Israel two years ago and had been close ever since Credit: John Middleton Ramsey

Fishermen who took Chau to the island say they saw tribespeople, who are isolated from the outside world, dragging and burying his body on the morning of November 17.

But close friend John Middleton Ramsey told The Sun Online he believes there's a chance his friend may have survived the attack - and doesn’t believe authorities should rule it out.

He points to only one source being cited in the reports claiming the fishermen saw the adventurer being bombarded by arrows and then dragged across the beach by tribesmen.

Chau’s mother Linda also believes her son may still be alive as his corpse has still not been recovered, his pal said.

“I think there’s a possibility he may have survived - I wouldn’t rule it out,” John, 22, said.

“His mother is a Christian too and she has said that in her prayers that she had feelings that John might still be alive.

11 Chau, pictured sitting down on the left, visited his friend John at his home to tell him about his plans to visit the remote island Credit: John Middleton Ramsey

“And there weren’t a whole lot of eyewitnesses and so since his body hasn’t been found we shouldn’t rule it out - even if it is a small chance.”

Authorities have been trying to recover Chau’s body - and believe they know where it has been buried - but their attempts have been thwarted by the armed tribesmen.

The Sentinelese have been known to attack anyone who goes to the island, seeing them as a threat.

But John says that if Chau is indeed dead, his friend wouldn’t want anyone to risk their life to bring his body home - and would be happy to be buried on the island.

“Knowing John, I don't think it would be that important for him to be buried back at home,” he said.

“So if it was to endanger other people, I think he'd prefer being buried there.”

Footage shows the Sentinelese tribe, one of world's last un-contacted indigenous people who live on North Sentinel Island

11 John, left, said his friend wouldn't have wanted anyone to risk their life to recover his body

11 The tribespeople were seen dragging Chau's body across a beach

Real estate agent John revealed how his friend, who he met during a trip to Israel two summers ago, had been planning his trip to Andaman Islands - where North Sentinel island is located - since high school.

The young missionary hoped to spend time living with the Sentinelese people, learning their language, converting them to Christianity and even translating the Bible for them.

Adventurers have been warned that contact with the tribe could kill them due to the islanders having a lack of immunity against outsider's viruses and infections.

But John said he didn’t think his friend knew about such dangers and he is shocked at some of the negative attention the case has received.

Even on John’s social media - people have called Chau “selfish”, “disrespectful” and an “idiot” for even trying to attempt the trip.

11 North Sentinel Island is off-bounds to visitors and home to the endangered tribe of the Sentinelese

11 Chau is believed to have been murdered by the tribespeople he hoped to befriend Credit: Facebook

“When I heard about John’s death my immediate feelings where sadness and I naturally shed a few tears but then I was quite shocked by the amount of attention this has received and how polarizing it's been," John said.

“I posted a goodbye picture of him on Instagram and while there's some people that hail him as a martyr, there’s a ton of hate messages as well. So I must say I was quite surprised by that.

“I support what he was doing. When he spoke with me about his plans before going I encouraged him and I still support what he did.

“You know, it was motivated out of love for these people so I'm behind this.

“As far as I know, he wasn't aware of these dangers about spreading diseases. He would never want to harm anyone.”

11 The American was desperate to meet the tribe and introduce them to Christianity Credit: Instagram

John, a dual American and German citizen, said his friend hadn’t planned to start immediately preaching the Bible to the Sentinelese people - and wanted to first befriend them and learn about their culture.

He also believes he was well prepared for the trip and had visited the region previously.

Surprisingly despite his friend’s gruesome death, John said he would support other missionaries who wanted to try and fulfill Chau’s goals.

“He went on a scouting trip to the area in 2016 - not to North Sentinel but to the main island to make some local connections,” John explained.

“After returning he told me his plans to go back and it’s not like he was going to start preaching the Bible as soon as he reached the island - he first wanted to get to know the people a little bit.

“He told me he wanted to go alone rather than with the group just to seem as unthreatening as possible and bring some gifts to be endearing.

11 The 26-year-old was from Washington state but had travelled extensively around the world Credit: Facebook

“He wanted to get to know the people, learn their language and eventually - when he knew the language well enough - to share the Gospel with them and perhaps longer-term translate the Bible into their language.

“I do see it as being a worthy mission. I share the same faith that John had and we believe that everyone should at least have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ so as not a die in their sins and to give them the opportunity to be reconciled with God.

“So yes, depending on the circumstances, I would support someone else trying to complete his mission.”

John - along with Chau’s family - say they forgive the tribespeople who attacked the adventurer and do not support authorities in prosecuting any of the fishermen who illegally took Chau to the island.

11 The tribe reportedly shot the US Citizen with arrows when he arrived on the shore

Chau knew what he was doing “wasn’t exactly legal” and wouldn’t have wanted anyone to pay for his decision, John says.

Describing keen outdoorsman Chau as “very chill and down to earth guy,” John says he hopes that he will be remembered as a “martyr” like famous Evangelical Christian Jim Elliot who was speared to death by the Huaorani tribe of Ecuador on a similar mission in 1956.

“John was loved by everyone who knew him. He was a what you see is what you get kind of a guy,” he said.

"He didn't put on any airs and he was always himself. He wasn't different around a different group of people.

“He was popular among the girls. But among guys as well, he just had a lot of friends.

"He was good looking but not at all arrogant. Just a person who is very easy to connect with.

11 The isolated tribe live on the North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal

“My prayer would be that he'll be remembered as a martyr. I see him as kind of a modern equivalent of Jim Elliot, the sort of person who makes a statement to the world that this is a faith that's worth dying for if push comes to shove.

"The sort of person who would be able to impact more lives through his death than he ever could have through his life.”

Last week, Chau's grieving family posted a statement on his Instagram page in which they forgave those who killed him.

It read: "He loved God, life, helping those in need and had nothing but love for the Sentinelese people.

"We forgive those reportedly responsible for his death.

11 The Sentinelese are one of the last peoples on Earth who have not been contacted by the outside world Credit: © Christian Caron – Creative Commons A-NC-SA

"We also ask for the release of those friends he had in the Andaman Islands."

The family appear to be referring to the fishermen who ferried him who have been detained by police.

The island is located in India's remote Andaman and Nicobar chain - and the Sentinelese, a community of hunter-gatherers, live isolated from the outside world.

A murder case has been registered.

But because contact with the tribe is forbidden Chau's killers cannot be prosecuted despite taking a life.

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Indian officials have decided to put the retrieval of John’s body “on hold” out of fear of disturbing the protected tribespeople.

A senior official, who did want to be named, told the BBC that previous attempts to find the body had proved unsuccessful.

He said: “In the initial days several attempts were made to find the body after the tribesmen were seen dragging it.

“We know the general direction of where it was taken, but we still don't know where exactly it is.”

Seven fishermen, who took US missionary John Allen Chau to Andaman and Nicobar islands where he was killed by tribe, arrested

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