A Dominican man who went missing at sea for almost a month survived in part by eating ketchup, garlic powder and Maggi seasoning cubes, officials said.
Elvis Francois, who was rescued from his sailboat this week, also used rainwater during his 24 days in the Caribbean, which he collected with a rag.
The 47-year-old got lost in December when currents swept his sailboat out to sea while he was doing repairs off the island of St Martin in the Netherlands Antilles, where he calls home, he told Colombian officials.
“I called my friends, they tried to contact me but I lost the signal. There was nothing to do but sit and wait,” Francois explained in a video released by the Colombian Navy.
He was eventually spotted by a passing plane using a mirror as a signal and writing the word “help” on the hull of the boat, according to officials.
Elvis Francois was found in good health but lost some weight. Colombian Navy
The merchant ship CMA CGM Voltario joined the rescue efforts of seaman Elvis Francois in a photo released by the Colombian Navy on January 18, 2023. Colombian Navy
A passing container ship picked it up about 120 nautical miles northwest of the port city of Cartagena, navy officials said.
Before his miraculous survival, Francois said he had to constantly scoop water out of the boat to keep it from sinking. He tried setting a fire as a distress signal, he said, but failed.
“At some point I lost hope and thought of my family, but I thank the Coast Guard. I wouldn’t be telling the story without her,” Francois said.
The ship picked up Francois after using a mirror to summon an airplane into the sky. Colombian Navy
Francois joins the crew of the merchant ship that fished him out of the water. Colombian Navy
advertising
Ketchup was the condiment that helped the sailor survive. Getty Images
Commander Carlos Urbano Montes said Thursday Francois was in good health following a medical but appeared to have lost some weight.
The Navy said after the medical exam he was turned over to immigration officials so he could return to Dominica.
With mail wires