The U.S. Coast Guard rescued kayaker Cyril Derreumaux early Sunday after the 44-year-old was forced to abort his attempted solo voyage from Sausalito to Hawaii.
Derreumaux, a Bay Area adventurer and Guinness World Record holder, was airlifted to safety by helicopter about 70 miles west of Santa Cruz. He planned to kayak solo and unsupported from the Bay Area to Hawaii in 70 days.
The French-born traveler began his excursion on May 31 around 5 a.m. and in recent days experienced uncomfortable but manageable weather conditions.
However, conditions worsened at about 9 p.m. Saturday when ground crew lost AIS signal, and Derremaux lost his GPS signal. In addition, the heavy weather caused the kayak to violently toss Derreumaux from side to side.
"As night had just fallen, it was clear that the situation was not sustainable: Inability to eat, drink, sleep, communicate easily with my team ashore," Derreumaux wrote on his Facebook page. "Being still quite close to land and considering the deteriorating weather conditions which could have made a rescue operation more complex and dangerous for all in the days to come, I made the very difficult decision to request an evacuation."
Coast Guard launched its MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew at 5 p.m. according to officials. They arrived on the scene at 12:39 a.m. Sunday, pulled in the kayaker and returned to Air Station in San Francisco.
Derreumaux was found to be in good medical conditions with no injuries, officials said.
"Recognizing that the situation was beyond his capabilities and calling for assistance allowed our crews to reach him in time for a successful rescue," Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll, a Coast Guard spokesperson said. "This shows that even experienced mariners with proper safety equipment can get into trouble on the ocean, which is why having the right equipment and knowing when and how to use it is so important."
The kayak is still floating in the ocean, and Derreumaux hopes to be able to retrieve it sometime this week.
He told the San Francisco Chronicle he may try to embark again in the next three weeks, however he has to assess the stress the situation put on his family, particularly his girlfriend.
"Morale is good, I still have my passion for this adventure intact, and I am still determined to make it happen...I won’t give up!!!" he wrote.
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