A Florida guy who attempted to use a makeshift hamster wheel to run across the Atlantic Ocean to London has been detained.
Reza Baluchi, 44, was discovered by the US Coast Guard (USCG) on August 26 off the coast of Georgia. He reportedly claimed he wanted to continue all the way to the UK, as reported by Sky News.
In accordance with court records, the USCG determined that the homemade watercraft was "manifestly unsafe" and was only kept afloat by buoys and wiring.
He set off on his journey just days before Hurricane Franklin, which peaked at a category 4 storm, made landfall in the Caribbean and headed for the US.
However, Mr. Baluchi resisted getting off the boat for three days before officials were able to safely remove him and bring him back to land two days later, according to court documents.
According to the records, Mr. Baluchi demonstrated to authorities that he was armed with two knives measuring 12 inches (30 cm) and that he would try to murder himself if they tried to remove him.
Officers stayed at the scene, and Mr. Baluchi allegedly threatened to "blow himself up" the following day, on August 27. According to the records, the USCG stated that they "believed this to be a valid threat" as he possessed cables in his hand.
(Photo : by Jes Aznar/Getty Images)
MARIVELES, LUZON, PHILIPPINES - JUNE 06: Members of the Philippine Coast Guard take part in a simulation during a trilateral maritime exercise with Japan and the US Coast Guard on June 6, 2023, 15 nautical miles off the coast of Bataan province, western Philippines.
Before he revealed the threat was a hoax on August 28th, shortly after officers attempted to bring food and water, this caused officers to summon in bomb disposal experts.
Officers pulled Mr. Baluchi off the ship on August 29 and into a small boat before bringing him onshore on September 1.
According to the documents, this was Mr. Baluchi's most recent encounter with the Coast Guard; prior encounters with the agency allegedly involved a homemade vessel in 2014, 2016, and 2021.
Read also: Florida Fuel Contamination: Officials Warn of Risks After Alleged Human Error at Port of Tampa
More Homemade Vessels Coming Out
The US Coast Guard has reported an increase in encounters with homemade vessels, also known as "go-fasts" or "pangas." These vessels are often used by smugglers to transport drugs and other contraband across international waters.
The Coast Guard has expressed concern about the increasing use of homemade vessels by smugglers. These vessels are often difficult to detect and board, and they can be very dangerous to operate. In some cases, smugglers have been known to scuttle their vessels in an attempt to evade capture.
In addition to the challenges posed by smugglers, the Coast Guard also faces the problem of asylum seekers who use homemade vessels to try to reach the United States.
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who have attempted to make the journey across the Caribbean Sea in homemade boats.
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