TYBEE, GA – A Florida man, Reza Baluchi, was recently apprehended by the Coast Guard, 70 miles off Tybee Island, Georgia. The 44-year-old marathoner was found on August 26, attempting to traverse the Atlantic in a peculiar hamster wheel-like device, with the aim of reaching London. Baluchi now faces federal charges following his rescue.
The unique vessel, described as a giant metal drum buoyed by inflatables and powered by the runner inside, was deemed “manifestly unsafe” by the Coast Guard. Baluchi was unable to provide the necessary registration for his watercraft, and it was discovered that he was planning to ‘run’ all the way to London in his makeshift hamster wheel.
When the Coast Guard decided to terminate his journey, Baluchi threatened to commit suicide with a 12-inch knife and claimed to have a bomb on board. However, after several days of negotiation, Baluchi admitted that he had no bomb. On September 1, he was successfully persuaded to disembark at the USCG Base in Miami Beach, Florida.
This was not Baluchi’s first attempt at such a feat. He had previously embarked on similar journeys in 2014, 2016, and 2021, all of which ended with Coast Guard intervention. He now faces federal charges of obstruction of a boarding and violation of a Captain of the Port order.
In an exclusive interview with FOX 35, Baluchi stated that his efforts were intended to raise funds for various charitable causes, including homeless people, the Coast Guard, and police and fire departments. Despite his repeated failures, Baluchi remains undeterred, stating, “I’ll never give up my dream. They stop me four or five times, but I never give up.”