This is a pretty cool story right here, and I'm really not sure why this man was stopped by authorities because this is a free world and people should be able to do awesome things if they so desire.
Yeah dude, this guy tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean — from Florida to England — in what can only be described as a giant hamster wheel of a Hydro Pod.
Let's take a look at this bad boy before we go any further. Here she is in action during one of Reza Baluchi's previous trips (along with some information on the vessel):
Just a thing of beauty, isn't she?
The…vessel is a giant metal drum, with inflatable buoys on each side and paddles that are powered by a runner inside.
So he started this trip, made it all the way up to Georgia — 70 miles off Tybee Island, to be exact — and then the Coast Guard came around.
Coast Guard officials arrested a Florida man after they intercepted his unusual hamster wheel contraption that he was allegedly attempting to ‘run' to London.
According to a criminal complaint, 44-year-old Reza Baluchi is facing federal charges after he was rescued 70 miles off Tybee Island, Georgia by coast guard officials. The marathoner was found on August 26 in his bizarre hamster wheel contraption and asked "standard questions."
"Based on the condition of the vessel - which was afloat as a result of wiring and buoys - USCG officers determined Baluchi was conducting a manifestly unsafe voyage," the criminal complaint says…
Baluchi was unable to provide officials with the required registration for his water vehicle and informed officials that he was running in his hamster wheel all the way to London, England.
"Manifestly unsafe voyage," my booty!
I don't need anyone telling me what kind of voyage I'm on, and I give Mr. Baluchi a lot of credit for what he did once the coast guard tried to cut his voyage short.
When Coast Guard officers told Baluchi they were cutting his voyage short, Baluchi threatened to kill himself with a 12-inch knife if anyone tried to apprehend him, and claimed to have a bomb aboard, according to the complaint
After days of trying to get Baluchi to board Coast Guard vessels, he admitted that he did not have a real bomb and on September 1 officers were able to get him to disembark at the USCG Base in Miami Beach, Florida…
He faces federal charges of obstruction of a boarding, and violation of a Captain of the Port order.
This bro's my new hero, yo!
And this wasn't his first time out on the hamster wheel. Fox News tells me he made similar efforts in 2014, 2016 and 2021, "all of which have ended with Coast Guard intervention."
Again, my hero. And who knows how many other attempts were made without the authorities getting involved.
But my favorite part of the story are these words from Baluchi.
I'll never give up my dream. They stop me four or five times, but I never give up.
Keep on keepin' on, Captain Baluchi.
You've got our full support.
Last thing, I promise. Here's why Baluchi does it:
"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," Baluchi said. "They are in public service, they do it for safety, and they help other people."
I love it!
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