The adventure of Elvis Francois, a sailor from Dominica began last December when the currents swept his boat out to sea while he was doing repairs – Eating ketchup and some garlic powder he managed to survive
The 47-year-old owes his life to a bottle of ketchup Elvis Francois who was shipwrecked in 2022 and rescued in 2023 in the Caribbean, after struggling for 24 days with the waves until he was located and collected by the Colombian navy.
The adventure of Elvis Francois, a sailor from Dominica, began last December when currents swept his boat out to sea while he was doing repairs off the island of St. Martin in the Netherlands Antilles, where he lives.
“I called my friends, they tried to contact me, but I lost the signal. There was nothing else to do but sit and wait,” he said in a video released by the Colombian Navy.
He wrote the word “help” in English on the bottom of his boat, which was critical to his location and recovery, according to Colombian authorities, and was waiting for help. In fact, he emphasized that all these days he was kept alive thanks to a bottle of ketchup that he had with him and some garlic powder and spice cubes.
At the same time, he said that he had to constantly remove water from the boat to prevent it from sinking. He also tried to light a fire to send a distress signal without success.
“At one point I lost hope and thought about my family, but I thank the Coast Guard. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here describing them to you,” said Mr Francois who was eventually spotted by a plane.
His vessel was spotted 120 nautical miles northwest of the La Wajira peninsula and Francois was taken to the port of Cartagena by a passing container ship, the Colombian navy said in a statement on Wednesday.
Colombian Navy officer Carlos Urbano Montes told The Associated Press on Thursday that Mr. Francois was in good health but had lost weight. Mr Montes said the boat had been abandoned at sea when Mr Francois was picked up by the merchant ship. I Francois underwent a medical examination on shore and was then handed over to immigration authorities to return to his home country.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
