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MAN TRIES TO ROLL ACROSS ATLANTIC IN GIANT HAMSTER WHEEL
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A Florida man was arrested by the US Coast Guard after they intercepted him in an unusual hamster wheel contraption that he was attempting to “roll” to London, England.
According to the Coast Guard, 44-year-old Reza Baluchi, an Iranian marathon runner, is now facing federal charges after he was rescued 70 miles off Tybee Island, Georgia.
"Based on the condition of the vessel – which was afloat as a result of wires and balloons – CG officers determined that Baluchi was conducting a clearly unsafe voyage," the criminal complaint says.
The unique vessel is a giant metal drum, with inflatable buoys on each side and paddles that are powered by a runner inside.
The complaint says that Baluchi was unable to show the required registration for his water vehicle but that he still intended to run in his hamster wheel all the way to London.
When Coast Guard officers told Baluchi they were cutting his voyage short, he threatened to kill himself with a 12-inch knife, if anyone tried to apprehend him, and he claimed to have a bomb aboard.
After three days of trying to get Baluchi to board a Coast Guard vessel, he admitted that he did not have a real bomb. Officers were finally able to get him to disembark at the USCG Base in Miami Beach, Florida.
Court documents said that this was not his first attempt to run on water in his hamster wheel. Officials said he attempted similar voyages in 2014, 2016, and 2021—all of which ended with Coast Guard intervention.
Baluchi was released from jail after he paid a bond of USD$250,000. Parts of his bond conditions include not going to the ocean or boarding a vessel on the ocean.
Whether he will follow those conditions is questionable.
In a television interview, Baluchi said his efforts were meant to raise money for various charitable causes, including "homeless people," the US Coast Guard, and the police and fire departments.
Baluchi said, "They are in public service, they do it for safety, and they help other people."
He also said he has already raised a lot of money, although he did not give any details.
But, most importantly, he insisted that he never gives up on his dreams.
About his dream of rolling across the Atlantic Ocean to London, Baluchi promises, "I will never give up that dream. They stop me four or five times, but I will never give up."
So, stay tuned; this seems to be a continuing story.
We wonder two things: How long it will take to build another giant hamster wheel? And, did anyone have Mr. Baluchi tested psychologically?
For two other unique boating adventures, try the spa boat and the giant pumpkin boat articles.
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