Sailor rescued by Colombian navy after 24 days adrift survived eating stock cubes - The Guardian

The Colombian navy has rescued a antheral from Dominica who says helium survived 24 days adrift successful the Caribbean connected a sailboat by eating ketchup, ail pulverization and seasoning cubes.

Elvis François, 47, had scrawled the connection “help” successful English connected the boat’s hull, which officials said was cardinal to his rescue.

The sailboat was spotted from the aerial 120 nautical miles north-west of the Guajira peninsula and François was taken to the larboard metropolis of Cartagena by a passing instrumentality ship, the Colombian navy said successful a connection connected Wednesday.

François told Colombian authorities that his ordeal began successful December erstwhile currents swept the sailboat retired to oversea portion helium was making repairs disconnected the land of St Martin successful the Netherlands Antilles, wherever helium lives.

“I called my friends, they tried to interaction me, but I mislaid the signal. There was thing other to bash but beryllium and wait,” François recalled successful a video released by the navy.

He said subsisted connected a vessel of ketchup, ail pulverization and Maggi cubes.

Carlos Urbano Montes said that François said helium collected rainwater with a cloth. He said François was recovered successful bully health, but told authoritative helium had mislaid weight.

François said connected the videotape that helium had to perpetually region h2o from the vessel to forestall it from sinking. He besides tried to airy a occurrence to nonstop a distress awesome without success.

Finally, a level passed by and helium signaled with a mirror. He said the navy told him that helium was spotted erstwhile the level passed again.

“At immoderate constituent I mislaid anticipation and thought astir my family, but I convey the seashore guard. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t beryllium telling the story,” François said.

Urbano Montes said the sailboat was abandoned astatine oversea erstwhile François was picked up by the merchant ship.

The navy said François received a aesculapian cheque connected enactment and past was handed implicit to migration authorities for his instrumentality location to Dominica.