A 44-year-old Florida resident, Reza Baluchi, was arrested by the US Coast Guard (USCG) 70 miles off the coast of Georgia for attempting to cross the Atlantic to London in a makeshift boat that resembled a hamster wheel According to authorities, the contraption was “manifestly unsafe”, kept afloat by cables and buoys.
Baluchi’s journey began perilously close to the arrival of Hurricane Franklin, a Category 4 storm that swept across the Caribbean toward the US. Despite warnings from the USCG, Baluchi refused to abandon his ship for three days, maintaining that his destination was London, England.
During his resistance, Baluchi told the USCG that he had armed himself with two 12-inch knives and threatened to kill himself if he was forcibly removed. The next day, he even threatened to detonate a bomb, holding up wires as if to authenticate his claim. This led officers to consult with US Navy bomb disposal experts.
Only after admitting his bomb threat was a hoax did Baluchi allow his extraction, ending his sea escapade. He was safely escorted ashore on 1 September. Court documents reveal that this incident is not Baluchi’s first encounter with the USCG; had attempted similar trips in 2014, 2016 and 2021.
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