A strange boat washed ashore on Flagler County Beach, near Orlando, Florida, on Saturday morning. In the shape of a bubble, on one side it was equipped with red and white floats of different sizes, and in the middle, it had a surface capable of supporting a standing person.
Flagler County agents responded to calls from concerned citizens who saw a strange boat on the beach in the Hammock area.
The sole occupant of the boat was discovered safely inside of it.
He told authorities that he had set off for New York from the St. Augustine area before encountering “complications” that brought him back to shore, the sheriff’s office said.
Its entire appearance resembled a giant hamster wheel, and judging by the intentions of its creator, its operation is quite similar.
Reza Baluchi, a 49-year-old ultramarathoner responsible for its creation, says that with it he intends to run on water from Florida to New York.
The athlete plans to reach the east coast to raise money for the street people.
“My goal is to not only raise money for homeless people but also raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department,” Baluchi told the station.
Baluchi, who was born in Iran but has lived in the United States for years, started running in the water in 2014.
That year he had to be rescued from a hydroelectric bubble near St. Augustine. His second attempt was in 2016, where he had to be rescued from a Hydro capsule off the coast of Jupiter.
Baluchi has been rescued several times in previous attempts after setting off inside hydro bubbles, the station reported.
He describes his boat as a floating bubble, which he has called a “hydropod”, which is equipped with a GPS device that lets his family and friends know exactly where he is in case he needs to be rescued.
