A Florida man washed ashore in a homemade bubble float in Flagler County, bringing an end to his quest to walk on water all the way to New York.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Reza Baluchi began his trip in St. Augustine on Friday and washed ashore in The Hammock area near Palm Coast, well south of his launch point. Authorities reported that Baluchi had come across “some complications that brought him back to shore.” They noted that they’d turned over the case to the Coast Guard, who will investigate whether the vessel is USCG compliant.
In the photos shared to Facebook by the department, Baluchi’s cylindrical vessel appears to be built to function like a floating hamster wheel. The outer edges of the craft are rimmed with floatation devices. Baluchi told Fox 35 that the trip was a fundraising effort, though he was notably broad about who the money would be for.
“My goal is to not only raise money for homeless people, raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department. They are in public service, they do it for safety and they help other people,” he told the TV station, which reported that his end goal was Bermuda.
Baluchi has tried similar trips in ad hoc vessels before. He set off for a massive trip that would have taken him to Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Miami in 2014. He was rescued by the Coast Guard off the coast of St. Augustine.
In 2016, he set off for Bermuda again. He sailed away from Pompano Beach in spite of a warning from the Coast Guard that he could be fined or imprisoned. When they spotted Baluchi near Jupiter, he gave up his attempt.
–
Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly newsletters, and consider supporting this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you Central Florida news, and every little bit helps.
This article appears in Jul 21-27, 2021.