A man who has been attempting to make sea voyages in a homemade vessel for around a decade was apprehended during his latest journey.
According to an affidavit published by Fox News, Reza Ray Baluchi was charged with Obstruction of a Boarding after the U.S. Coast Guard spotted him Aug. 26 in the “Hydro Pod vessel” off the coast of Tybee Island, Ga.
“Upon arriving at the Vessel, USCG officers asked standard boarding questions, to include requesting the registration of the Vessel,” said the affidavit. Baluchi told the Coast Guard officers that he was unable to locate the Florida registration for the vessel. He also told them his intended destination was London, U.K.
Officers determined that this plan wasn’t safe due to the condition of the vessel. It was floating “as the result of wiring and buoys,” the affidavit said. They told Baluchi that they were terminating the voyage.
At that point, Baluchi claimed he was carrying a 12-inch knife and said he would attempt to die by suicide if removed from his vessel. Although the officers remained nearby, they did go to their Coast Guard cutter.
Through the following day, they continued attempts to remove Baluchi from the homemade boat. In addition to his claim about the knife, Baluchi also threatened to blow himself up with an alleged bomb and appeared to be holding wires.
By Aug. 28, another Coast Guard cutter arrived at the scent to provide support. It launched a small boat in an attempt to deliver food, water as well as information about an incoming hurricane. He again refused to leave the vessel but admitted that the bomb was not real. Finally, Coast Guard crews were able to remove Baluchi from the vessel Aug. 29. He had been brought ashore as of Sept. 1 to the U.S. Coast Guard base in Miami Beach, Fla.
Per the affidavit, Baluchi attempted similar trips in 2014, 2016, and 2021 that resulted in Coast Guard intervention. A Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post from 2021 shows a hamster-wheel like vessel on a beach.
In August 2015, he was served a Captain of the Port Order from the Commander for the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, which includes the territories of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. This order found his vessel to be “manifestly unsafe” and applied to any subsequent voyages he might attempt. It also outlined requirements for safely transiting in it. According to the affidavit, he failed to comply with the requirements.