A Florida man was rescued by the US Coast Guard while attempting a round trip to Bermuda, thousands of miles away, in an inflated balloon.
Long-distance runner Reza Barouch was rescued off the coast of Florida on Sunday and his “hydropod” was being towed to shore, Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney said.
Reza Barouch with his maritime bubble. Photo: Facebook
Bernie said the man left Pompano Beach on Friday despite receiving a letter from the Coast Guard on April 15 warning him not to attempt the 3,500-mile (5,600-kilometer) journey that would follow the Bermuda Triangle and then return to Florida via Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Baruchi, 44, from Iran, was told his boat, which was equipped with dozens of buoyancy balls, GPS tracking devices and water purifiers, was “clearly unsafe” and “would not be allowed to set sail.”
“This was an inherently dangerous voyage that put the lives of Mr. Baruch and the other boaters at risk,” said Capt. Austin Gould, commander of the Coast Guard’s Miami Sector.
The Coast Guard added that the voyage was aborted because “it violated a USCG order” not to sail without a safety boat.
Reza Barouch’s attempt to cross the ocean in a giant bubble in 2014 ended in a similar fashion. Photo: Provided
Baruch could be fined or have to pay for the pickup, Mr Burney said.
It was the second time he had attempted such a journey.
In October 2014, his GPS device fell into the ocean about 70 miles off the coast of St. Augustine. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued him from the ocean at a cost of more than $140,000.
