Man Plans To Bubble Travel Again In January

October 27, 2014

Reza Baluchi — who was rescued by the Coast Guard while attempting to travel to Bermuda in a bubble earlier this month — said he plans to design a “4th generation bubble” and attempt to “bubble across the Bermuda Triangle” again in January.

Mr. Baluchi’s ambitious attempt to travel from Miami to Bermuda in a bubble ended on October 4th, when he was found 70 miles off Florida, floating in the bubble, disoriented and asking for directions to Bermuda.

The Coast Guard said they rescued him after he activated his Personal Locating Beacon on Saturday morning, however Mr. Baluchi refutes this, claiming that the “button was struck accidentally.”

The inflatable Hydro Pod bubble is made of 3mm-thick plastic, and is powered by the person running inside it, and according to Mr. Baluchi, the bubble was destroyed when it was being towed it to shore.

The 42-year-old set out for the 1,033 mile journey with his bubble stocked with protein bars, bottled water, a GPS and a satellite phone. He planned to catch fish to sustain himself on the journey, run during the day, and spend his nights sleeping on a hammock inside the bubble.

The latest update on Mr. Baluchi’s website said, “Reza plans to save money, design a 4th generation bubble and return to Miami to bubble across the Bermuda triangle again in January.

“His 4th generation bubble will be his best design yet. He’s going to make it faster with 4″ deep fins that will propel through the water quicker, especially with the 28 soccer balls he will stick between the frames that wrap around the circumference of the bubble.”

The latest update on Mr. Baluchi’s website maintains his already stated position that he wasn’t asking to be rescued, and said his comment asking “Which way is Bermuda?” was a joke.

In explaining his version of how the emergency beacon was activated, Mr. Baluchi’s website said that a passing fishing boat threw a case of 35 bottles of water into the side port hole of the bubble, and the weight “caught Reza off guard and caused his bubble to bob in the water and made him fall.”

“With his bubble bouncing around, Reza’s hat with his FindMeSpot GPS emergency beacon went out the starboard port window and sank. Reza’s didn’t think about this immediately, but as the FindMeSpot device submerged in water it sent a mayday, rescue me message to the company,” the website said.

“Reza still had his satellite phone, but he had it turned off to save battery power and missed their important verification call. He was not available to say ‘I’m fine and don’t need a rescue.”

Mr. Baluchi’s website claims that when the Coast Guard helicopter spotted him in his bubble “he was fine, needed no medical attention,” and still had 25 energy bars, various nuts [walnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts], 9 liters of water attached to the outside of his bubble, 7 liters of water inside, and 2 liters of Gatorade.

“Reza had 800 miles more to go and planned to get to Bermuda in 10 more days,” the website said.

Mr. Baluchi has started a donation page on the crowd funding website GoFundMe, which says, “Help me keep my dream alive to run across land and sea to spread peace and unity throughout the world. Your donation is greatly appreciated to aid in rebuilding my hydro-pod bubble.” GoFundMe lists $10,000 as Mr. Baluchi’s fundraising goal, and in the past three weeks, he has raised $20.

According to the Associated Press, the rescue operation to save Mr. Baluchi in the bubble cost $144,000.

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Comments (34)

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  1. somuchless says:

    This has to be an April fools joke.

  2. Micro says:

    If the bubble was destroyed getting towed, imagine what the swells from Fay and Gonzalo would’ve done.

    How does he even steer the thing?

  3. MoonShine says:

    Someone please educate this fool of the weather conditions between January-March. April/May may be more ideal. Or is it going to be three strikes and you are out with him?

    • Jiminy Cricket says:

      Good point Moon Shine, why would someone do this feat during hurricane season of all times?
      Also, If he required 10 more days to reach Bermuda that would have put him at the island on 14 Oct, which means he would have been a couple hundred miles from Bermuda when TS Fay hit us.
      He should be really happy that the emergency beacon went off or it may have been the end of his attempts.

    • long time says:

      lol i agree and either 3 strikes or 3rd times the charm

  4. Onion says:

    In January with 40 knot North winds. He will end up in the Azores before he gets here.

  5. hmmm says:

    Wonder if he could get Nestle re: Aero bars etc to sponsor him.

  6. Young Adult says:

    Impossible!!! Those seas in the north Atlantic during the winter are no joke!

  7. swing voter says:

    don’t focus on the mission this guy wants to accomplish (I use that word loosely) instead focus on the opportunity Bermuda has in the media exposure…I would create a Tourism or airline ad that says there are easier and faster ways to get to Bermuda than that ;-)

    • Kunta says:

      Being ignorant to the fact that this fool is risking his life and putting those who will rescue him at risk to give the Island recognition(like we’re a mystery Island) is just PATHATIC

      • swing voter says:

        how is it Pathetic? The guy is hell bent on this mission. I think its ignorant and pathetic to call the guy insulting names just because you strongly disagree with is obsession. Kinda comparable to your unreasonable rants in this forum don’t mistake you an ignorant fool….does it?

        • bdaboy says:

          it’s ‘pathatic’…can’t spell the c word properly either

          • Kunta says:

            Thank you secretary, what you Dreamers need to do is to help fund him, as it stands he has raised $20 in 3 weeks for his $10,000 mission.
            Rescue mission $144,000.
            PATHETIC
            Ignorant Fool.

  8. SMH says:

    May god be with him. He’s gonna need him.

  9. aceboy says:

    A future Darwin Award winner.

  10. blindbutcansee says:

    Why is this guy involving Bermuda in his suicide attempts? IJS….

    • Longtail says:

      A good question!!! Thankfully he has only raised $20 of his needed $10K for his next suicidal attempt…. at that rate he will need some 1,500 weeks to raise the remaining funds. January? I don’t think so!!!

  11. haha says:

    haha what a joke…january weather is worse den now…smh

  12. LickMyChicken says:

    Why don’t he join America’s Cup? LOL

  13. Joonya says:

    Clown. And who picks up the $144,000 rescue expense??

  14. Impressive says:

    What is the definition of insanity again??? cheesh, expecting different results is he,,

  15. Guyzie says:

    Where does he poop?

    • Ty says:

      @Guyzie,

      That’s his fish bait for catching dinner. YUCK!! LOL

  16. My Boy!! says:

    Why dont that guy just strap a motor to that bubble and be done. smh

  17. Silence Do Good says:

    Run Forest

  18. I would sponser this guy in a heart beat. says:

    I wish I had my company up and running right now. I would sponser this guy in a heart beat. Bermuda tourism board get on this.. sort it out.

  19. Milton says:

    He needs to leave a float plan for his funeral. Sounds like he has a death wish. He needs a psychiatric evaluation.

  20. Triangle Drifter says:

    I hope this time he has no sat phone, no marine VHF, no way of calling for help to get his stupid s$$ out of trouble..

  21. Mr. Meoff says:

    Mr. Baluchi, your PINK ROOM is ready now.