BOGOTA, Colombia - A man from the Caribbean island of Dominica says he survived 24 days lost at sea in a sailboat by eating ketchup before being rescued in Colombian waters, the country’s naval authority said.
“I had no food. There was only a bottle of ketchup that was on the boat, garlic powder and (bouillon cubes) Maggi. So I mixed it up with some water for me to survive 24 days in the sea,” Mr Elvis Francois, 47, said in English, in a video released by the Colombian Navy.
The islander had the word “help” carved on the hull of the boat when he was found 120 nautical miles north-west of Puerto Bolivar in the northern department of La Guajira.
Mr Francois said he saw other boats pass by and tried to flag them down, even lighting a fire on his vessel, but they did not see him.
He bailed water to keep from sinking.
“The final days, about Jan 15, I saw a plane. I had a mirror. I was making some signals,” he said, describing how he angled the glass to catch the glare of the sun and draw attention.
“They passed over the boat twice so I realised they saw me,” he continued. “I am grateful for being alive today because of them.”
The aircraft crew informed the navy, who then rescued Mr Francois with the help of a merchant ship.
Mr Francois added: “Twenty-four days, no land. Nobody to talk to. Don’t know what to do. Don’t know where you are. It was rough. A certain time, I lost hope. I thought about my family.”
Video released by the navy shows a doctor examining Mr Francois, who appears to be in good health.
“It was very rough. I don’t know how I am alive today, but I am alive. And I am grateful for that,” he said.
Mr Francois was working to repair a sailboat off a harbour on the Caribbean island of St Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles in December when the weather turned foul and he was swept out to sea, the navy said.
“Without having any knowledge of navigation, he was lost and disoriented at sea. His efforts to manoeuvre the vessel and the equipment on board were to no avail,” the statement added.
Mr Francois tried to make calls on his mobile phone, but he ran out of signal. He was handed over to the immigration authorities to coordinate his return to his country. AFP
