Elvis Francois, who was trying to repair a boat in the port of Saint Martin Island in the Caribbean Sea in December, started to drift with the current. Francois, who had no maritime knowledge and was dragged in the open sea, could not ask for help because he did not pick up the phone. Drifting for days at sea, 47-year-old Francois survived by eating 1 bottle of ketchup, garlic powder and broth tablets for 24 days. Francois, who wrote “help” on the hull of the sailboat, managed to draw attention by reflecting the sun’s rays to an airplane using a mirror on January 15th. The crew reported the situation to the Colombian navy. A merchant ship contacted by the navy rescued Francois, who had been dragged at sea for about a month, and brought him to the port city of Cartagena. While Francois was undergoing a health check, the immigration department started the relevant process for his return to his country.
“There was NO FOOD ON THE BOAT! THERE WERE KETCHUP, GARLIC POWDER AND BROKEN TABLETS”
“There was no food on the boat,” Francis said. There were ketchup, garlic powder and broth tablets. I mixed the broth tablets with water and drank it. I had nothing to do but sit and wait. At one point I lost hope and thought of my family. Thanks to the Navy. “Without them, I wouldn’t be able to tell this story,” he said. (UAV)
