In Colombia, a Dominican castaway survived 24 days at sea thanks to a bottle of ketchup.
His name may not ring a bell, but Elvis François has been making headlines in many international media outlets. The reason? The 47-year-old Dominican man survived more than three weeks in the Caribbean Sea.
Even more surprising, he stayed alive for 24 days by eating ketchup and other condiments:
‘I had no food. I only had a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder, and Maggi cubes. I mixed everything with water to survive for about 24 days,’ the castaway explained in a video released by the Colombian Navy. He was rescued by the Colombian Navy with support from a merchant ship.
‘He was lost and disoriented at sea’
This adventure-novel-worthy story began last December. The man in his 40s was repairing a sailboat off a port in Saint Martin when he was ‘swept out to sea’ because of bad weather conditions.
‘With no knowledge of navigation, he was lost and disoriented at sea. His efforts to maneuver the vessel and the equipment on board were useless,’ the Navy said in a statement.
Faced with the situation, Elvis François tried to make calls several times, but without success.
‘I could do nothing but sit and wait (…) 24 days away from land, with no one to talk to, not knowing what to do or where I was. It was hard. At times I lost hope, I thought about my family,’ the survivor said.
Just when all hope seemed gone, the Dominican man spotted a plane flying over him three weeks later.
‘On January 15, I saw a plane pass by. I had a mirror, and I started sending signals with the reflection of the sun.’
And it is fair to say that the move paid off.
‘When I saw it pass by twice, I understood that they had seen me.’
Elvis François’s sailboat was found 120 nautical miles about 220 kilometers northwest of Puerto Bolivar, in the northern department of La Guajira.
The man was handed over to immigration services so they could organize his return to Dominica.
