A Florida man washed ashore in a floating hamster wheel in Flagler County, bringing an end to his mission to walk on water to New York.
Reza Baluchi left Saint Augustine, Florida, with the goal of reaching New York to raise money for charity, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said.
In photos shared to Facebook by the sheriff's office, Baluchi's cylindrical craft appears to be designed to function like a floating rubber barrel. The outer edges of the vessel are outfitted with flotation devices.
The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted and arrived on scene to take over the situation and ensure the vessel and its occupant were safe and complying with maritime regulations.
"My goal is not only to raise money for homeless people, but raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department," Fox News 35 quoted the 49-year old Baluchi as saying.
According to The Sun-Sentinel, Baluchi was forced to turn back after he discovered some of his navigation equipment had been stolen.
The equipment has been recovered, and Baluchi - who was also a marathon runner - plans to resume his quest once the weather improves, the report said.
This wasn't Baluchi's first time trying to cross Atlantic waters in a flotation craft.
In 2014, coast guard personnel rescued him while he tried to reach Bermuda from Florida in a makeshift "hydro pod."
Gina Laspina, Baluchi's friend, said he carries a global positioning system with him so family and friends can track his location, and brings enough water and food to survive "anywhere for days and weeks."
Baluchi planned to survive on "protein bars, tuna, sea water purified through a filter, Gatorade and chewing gum for seasickness," his website said, according to The Guardian.
Baluchi said he would not give up trying to attain his goals.
"They stop me four or five times, but I never give up," ABC News said.
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