BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The Colombian navy rescued a person from Dominica who says he survived 24 days adrift within the Caribbean on a sailboat by consuming ketchup, garlic powder and seasoning cubes.
Elvis Francois, 47, had scrawled the phrase “assist” in English on the boat’s hull, which officers stated was key to his rescue.
The sailboat through which Francois was adrift was noticed from the air 120 nautical miles northwest of La Guajira peninsula after which escorted to the port metropolis of Cartagena with the assistance of a passing container ship, the Colombian navy stated in an announcement Wednesday.
Francois advised Colombian authorities that his ordeal started in December when currents swept the sailboat out to sea whereas he was making repairs off the island of St. Martin within the Netherlands Antilles, the place he lives.
“I known as my pals, they tried to contact me, however I misplaced the sign. There was nothing else to do however sit and wait,” Francois recalled in a video launched by the navy.
He stated subsisted on a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder and Maggi cubes.
Francois stated he needed to always take away water from the boat to stop it from sinking. He additionally tried to gentle a hearth to ship a misery sign with out success.
Lastly, a airplane handed by and he signaled with a mirror. He stated the navy advised him that he was noticed when the airplane handed once more.
“In some unspecified time in the future I misplaced hope and considered my household, however I thank the coast guard. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be telling the story,” Francois stated.
The navy stated Francois was in good well being when he was rescued. After receiving a medical verify on shore, he was handed over to immigration authorities for his return dwelling to Dominica.
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